At the beginning of this year, the pop-punk acoustic duo of This Wild Life made an appearance at Soundwave Festival and needless to say – they held a fantastic set! I remember coming across one of their acoustic covers of A Day To Remember’s “If It Means A Lot To You” and the brilliance of the acoustic vibes that resonated in their music was stunning. The poetic lyrics, the delicate string arrangement of guitars and the honesty and genuine feeling that is placed in each track were obviously crafted with perfection.
There’s a story that’s heartbreaking encompassed in Clouded and although people may overlook the simplicities of acoustic music, the record makes the effort of flowing well-enough to keep a listener engaged. Surprisingly, This Wild Life originally took a pop punk direction at the start of their music journey and it’s rewarding to see them take shape in their acoustic direction. Their evolving sound has moulded into something that has made Clouded a record that can be appreciated through time and you begin to realise the deep and meaningful gestures of inspiration that are between the lines of each song. It’s hard to let go everything and sometimes the emotions we feel are difficult to control.
“Concrete” and “Over It” are two powerful numbers off the record and it begins a journey where feeling bitter about what happened in the past has transformed into music. Kevin Jordan’s voice – resonating a City and Colour type of element soaks himself in this bubble of emotional power that is hard to resist as every lyric hits close to home. There’s a sadness that fills you up with pain in your heart and the tracks feel like they are a reflection of your life. This is what makes This Wild Life special; their ability to recount every painful, heartbreaking story you have ever witnessed and providing the closure you need to move on through its music and lyrics.
“Better With You” and “Don’t Say” transitions well with the record as it continues on the path of a gentle, acoustic sound and reflective lyrics. The record encompasses maturity but at the same time has a way of making you feel stunted. It’s the tone that develops this sense of denial; the brutal honesty that is reflected on the lyrical content of the subject that love hurts. Through its beautiful acoustics, it acknowledges that it’s gonna take time for you to get mended.
The Atmospheric Edition of Clouded offers three live session tracks and this ensues a stripped version of some numbers off the original release as well as acclaimed cover song of Bring Me The Horizon’s“Sleepwalking”. In addition, there are three bonus songs that add to the emotional bulk of the record. “Alone With Me” is atmospheric and shimmers down the soothing sound dynamic of the duo and has an upbeat force despite the melancholic lyrics. There’s an obvious struggle to overcome the heartache and this song takes the reigns of being a heavy reminder of what truly lingers on your mind of someone you love.
There’s a parade of emotions strung down in this edition of Clouded and suffice it to say, This Wild Life have what it takes to provide a powerful, acoustic catalogue of songs. It is a record that carefully understands the hopeless feelings one has felt, making It the soundtrack to your heartache conundrums.
Review Score: 8.5 out of 10
Clouded: Atmosphere Edition is available now
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