Perhaps no knowledge of Archer Prewitt's past solo records or his work in two of the most important bands of the last quarter century (The Coctails and The Sea and Cake) would make his latest album Wilderness (his first in three years) a unique and truly stunning affair (which it is, from any point of view). But, because he is one of the few masters of consistently brilliant contemporary pop music, it's just another spectacular, lush, beautiful and resonating album to add to his catalogue.
Although this is just as great as anything he's done in the past, he has even outdone himself this time around. While he is keeping his signature big and appropriately grandiose musical arrangements in tact, he strips them down to their bare essentials, often times substituting mellotron or vibraphone for real strings (as heard on one of the album's better tracks "Go Away") or electing to go with a singular acoustic guitar and upright bass to accompany his subtle, monotone vocal style. The sound of the musical backdrops is far less guitar-oriented than past releases (and come to think of it, I don’t recall one instance of distortion on the entire record; the closest the entire thing comes to being "loud" is the final coda of "Without You"), relying heavily on subtle piano accompaniments and heavily reverbed vibes and xylophones. Songs morph into separate movements within songs, switching time signatures and arrangements seemingly abruptly, but completely flawlessly. Such diversity and unexpected twists and turns make for an infinitely interesting record. Along with that, this is probably the calmest album he has yet concocted and, while it does go down easily, it takes a few listens to fully latch onto as it does have a surprisingly melancholy overtone to it.
As far as highlights, it seems unfair to single out specific pieces when the album itself feels like one singular work that stands on it own. But if I were to name some of my personal favorites, they would definitely be the stop and start catchiness of "O, KY"; the lonely pedal steel of "Think Again"; and "Cheap Rhyme", an absolute epic piece of lushness utilizing practically everything including electric guitar, subtle Hammond B-3, piano, strings, electric and acoustic bass, vibes, woodwinds and of course a horn section (though Archer is smart enough not to use them all at once, thankfully). Although it sounds excessive, it's executed with the best timing and care, respecting the space such arrangements require and never once even coming close to being overproduced or over the top. It's clearly the centerpiece of this album and one of his finest compositions to date.
So, where does this fall within the context of his greater body of work? Well, like everything else this man has come in contact with, it's a strong artistic statement disguised as a piece of magnificent, highly rewarding, sophisticated pop music. It may appear like smart guy music made for a very particular audience on the surface, but the musical backdrops are full enough and have had enough thought put into them that they help the songs have initial enjoyment and the lyrics and melodies are just catchy and relatable enough to keep any listener with any sort of feelings coming back for more. And it also just happens to be thoroughly brilliant. Yep, it's business as usual for Mr. Prewitt.
