Native Wildlife, “A Simple Life, A Quiet Mind”, Full Length Release

Native Wildlife, “A Simple Life, A Quiet Mind”, Full Length Release

Hey everyone. I’m finally getting around to making my first post now that I am settled in at college and have something I feel is worth the coverage.

Just a few days ago my favorite unsigned band from the East Coast, Native Wildlife, released their first full-length LP, A Simple Life, A Quiet Mind. Let me say, I have been anticipating the release for a long time.

Before I get into talking too much about the album I should introduce you to the band. Native Wildlife are a five-piece post-hardcore outfit from Massachusetts and Connecticut. They are still a relatively new band with two EP releases and this new full length. They deliver what I can only describe as some pretty fucking raw Post-Hardcore with some elements of ambiance and delicate guitar. Their lyrics are translated beautifully through Steve, their vocalist’s, ever-improving and intensely emotive vocal performances. Their sound is really refreshing to me in a genre that very easily blurs together. Partially due to Steve’s vocal style and the rest attributed to the band’s instrumentation.

On with the album! The opener, “An Ending”, starts the album off with a beautifully chill acoustic melody accompanied by some ambiance in the background. The track fades into the first heavy track on the album, “Invocation”. This track doesn’t waste time, getting right into one of my favorite verses of the album lyrically. This track is one of the more straight forward tracks on the album. Though there are some pretty rad lead lines that start around the second verse and I like those a lot. Really great vibes on the track. The bridge to the last verse makes a really cool transition and I love how hard Steve goes for the end of the track.

The next track, “Obsession”, is immense. Rather short, but the track explodes after a single snare hit into some of the heaviest stuff on the record. Steve is going 150% on this track and it’s no wonder why they threw a live single version on the Heads Up Records compilation that was released in March of this year. Just an incredibly heavy track with heavy everything bringing it down heavy as fuck all of the time. It’s excellent. With a little feedback it ends going into another pretty short track that has some of my favorite guitar work. “Progeny” has some cool lead stuff going on and some great lyrics, especially the last verse. Check it outtt.

(I also realize I’m not being very descriptive. Just kinda running down the record. I’m no music reviewer yet.)

The next track, “Nomad”, is very chill with some delayed out guitar and then it crescendos with the drums coming in and leading seamlessly into the next track, “Legacy”. This track features Dave Vitola, the front man of the Boston Hardcore band Deathdealer. This track gives me feels. I like it a whole lot. They also released a very cool music video for these two songs before the album dropped. Erik Rojas put together an awesome video for them. Excellent live shots of the band and some eerily creepy footage of people cutouts and stuff. It’s neat.

Watch it!

The next track, “Unhallowing”, is currently my favorite. It’s got some really cool guitar tones, as does the whole album. Some super gnarly bass tones, especially this gnarly riff that is in the forefront of the track for a few seconds. Steve and John alternate vocals on this track and it sounds awesome. I dig them grooves, brah. The song fades and the next and final track starts…

“Most Times” wraps up the album with a hauntingly beautiful a poem by William James, a poet from Pittsburgh, introducing the longest track on the record. I really like this track. After uncle BillJim’s poem fades out with the melancholic guitar, the track shifts into a powerful song. Tremolo picked ambiance fills the space while everything else just slams down this epic half time beat for a bit. The track picks up before going into a very broken up and terribly heavy hitting riff. It’s almost menacingly uncomfortable. Just as the heaviness subsides, noise from oscillating delays and effect madness bring the record to an end.

Overall I think this record is brilliant and it has a lot going for it from an unsigned and mostly unheard band from the East Coast. The album was recorded and mixed on 2″ tape by Alex-Garcia Rivera at Mystic Valley Recording Studio in Medford, MA and mastered by Jay Maas at Getaway Studios in Haverhill, MA. Knowing the amount of time and effort put into this record I highly recommend looking into it and giving it an appropriate listen through. Native Wildlife are some of the nicest guys I’ve had the opportunity to go chill with and see play and they are writing some rad music.

Check out Native Wildlife’s pages, download their records, buy some merch, like their pages, talk about them, support, and spread some love.

• Native Wildlife’s Facebook
• Native Wildlife’s Tumblr
• Native Wildlife’s Twitter
• Native Wildlife’s Bandcamp
• Native Wildlife’s Youtube Channel

“That is a wrap… Start me at the beginning.” -John Snyder