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Avg: 3.5 (140 ratings)
- Date Released: January 25, 2005
- Genre: Alternative/Punk
- Style: Indie Rock
- Label: Thrill Jockey
Impeccably arranged, undeniably graceful
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We Say...
Archer Prewitt's artistic twitches have always been extraordinarily well tended-to: the singer/multi-instrumentalist presently slings guitar for Chicago indie veterans the Sea and Cake, and supplies comics and illustrations (the cover art for Wilderness is a Prewitt original) for a variety of national publications. Still, Prewitt's prolific solo career as a singer/songwriter is far too hefty to be written off as distracted noodling: Wilderness, Prewitt's fourth solo album, is an impeccably arranged collection of songs that, despite their meandering structures and splintering melodies, hold together with remarkable grace.
More consistent and internally coherent than its predecessors, Wilderness sees Prewitt twirling away from sappy, MOR yawning — instead, opener "Way of the Sun," anchored by Prewitt's solid-but-breathy vocals, evokes the dim mysticism of bedroom saint Nick Drake, whom Prewitt has cited as an influence. Much like Drake, Prewitt is a determinedly modest lyricist, skittishly side-stepping rote, singer/songwriter confessionalism for detailed (but still emotionally vague) laments. Also like Drake, Prewitt is happy to employ a mess of other, considerably less-insular sounds, including trumpet, pedal steel, mellotron, organ, strings, punctuated bits of "Ave Maria," handclaps and unexpectedly raucous percussion. Wilderness (which is lovingly dedicated to Prewitt's late father) thoughtfully explores notions of love, death and loss without resorting to drippy folk clichés or tired instrumentation. -
They Say...
Archer Prewitt has been putting out intelligent, sophisticated pop music for some time now, and Wilderness is another absolute gem. There's a certain sense of melancholy running throughout, but this is often belied by the upbeat music, which often takes unexpected yet totally natural twists and turns. Tempos change in mid-tune, and sparse accompaniment will suddenly blossom into a lush cinematic sound with horns and strings, as on the majestic coda to "Cheap Rhyme." The band is spot-on, and the album has an inviting, relaxed sound. The songs are utterly engaging, and the detailed arrangements reveal more with each listen. Choosing highlights would be arbitrary at best; Prewitt has written a great batch of tunes, and the production and arrangements show him to be a supreme pop craftsman.
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Rolling Stone
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| 01. |  |
Way Of The Sun |
4:53 |
|
| 02. | |
Leaders |
4:24 |
|
| 03. | |
O, Ky |
5:19 |
|
| 04. | |
Go Away |
4:55 |
|
| 05. | |
Judy, Judy |
4:43 |
|
| 06. | |
No More |
3:49 |
|
| 07. | |
Think Again |
5:16 |
|
| 08. | |
Cheap Rhyme |
6:20 |
|
| 09. | |
O, Lord |
5:03 |
|
| 10. | |
Without You |
5:13 |
|
| 11. | |
Wilderness |
4:16 |
|
11 Total Tracks, 54:11 Total Length
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Credits
- Susan Voelz - Violin // Mark Greenberg - Organ // Mark Greenberg - Bass // Mark Greenberg - Piano // Mark Greenberg - Engineer // Mark Greenberg - Mellotron // Mark Greenberg - Vibraphone // Mark Greenberg - Stylophone // Fred Lonberg-Holm - Cello // Fred Lonberg-Holm - Cello // Barry Phipps - Engineer // Archer Prewitt - Guitar // Archer Prewitt - Guitar // Archer Prewitt - Percussion // Archer Prewitt - Percussion // Archer Prewitt - Piano // Archer Prewitt - Piano // Archer Prewitt - Drums // Archer Prewitt - Drums // Archer Prewitt - Vocals // Archer Prewitt - Vocals // Archer Prewitt - Mellotron // Archer Prewitt - Mellotron // Archer Prewitt - Vibraphone // Archer Prewitt - Vibraphone // Archer Prewitt - Stylophone // Archer Prewitt - Stylophone // Archer Prewitt - Drawing // Archer Prewitt - Drawing // Roger Seibel - Mastering // Dave Crawford - Organ // Dave Crawford - Synthesizer // Dave Crawford - Piano // Dave Crawford - Trumpet // Dave Crawford - Horn // Dave Crawford - Mellotron // Dave Crawford - String Arrangements // Sheila Sachs - Design // Sheila Sachs - Layout Design // Ken Sluiter - Remix Engineer // Rich Parenti - Saxophone // Chris Manfrin - Drums // Jeremy Lemos - Engineer // Nick Broste - Trombone // A.P. Sachs - Design // A.P. Sachs - Layout Design
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