Average rating on Megacritic 81 with only six reviews
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=am ... d3vwvwa92k
Released July 5
By MacKenzie Wilson
Four Stars (=80 for Magacritic?)
It took Wilderness three years to complete their self-titled debut album. Spending that much time crafting a complex yet intriguing soundscape that has nothing to do with alternative rock, period, is not only beyond impressive, but also brilliant. It's smart in the sense that Wilderness maintain a stance away from the classic three-chord formula. They create their own post-punk-inspired shuffle without falling into the kitsch of their peers. Wilderness is led by the chaotic vocal warbling of frontman James Johnson, an obvious comparison to John Lydon's Public Image Ltd., but also an eerie vocal resemblance to Yan of British Sea Power, quickly establishes the band's disciplined approach. While the ten-song set is an elaborate adaptation of ominous guitars, thunderous drums, and sneaky basslines, Wilderness itself delivers a melancholic nervousness. Songs such as "Arkless," the blighted hopes of "End of Freedom," and the slow burn of "Fly Farther to See" press hard in such a vein. Some could have lost scope of an album's natural psyche with taking such an extensive amount of time recording it; however, Wilderness are a group of extreme perfectionists. This album never had a chance to be anything but good.
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Since that review was so short I added the last two paragraphs from Mr. Pitchfork with an 8.5 rating:
Of course, while Wilderness are certainly unique, and prove themselves dynamic within their own strict parameters, a bit more variety wouldn't hurt, nor would more of the kind of melodic infusion found at the apex of "End of Freedom". But considering the original sound they've created-- and at such an early stage of their career-- it's difficult to find too much fault: Even given this level of sonic consistency, the album only drags once, briefly, during the eight-minute centerpiece "Post Plethoric Rhetoric"-- and that's at the beginning, before the track manages to get fully off the ground.
What Wilderness really seem to signify-- and what makes them important-- is a shift back towards the more cerebral end of the rock spectrum. Every extreme has its antidote, and just as it's been rewarding to see artists loosen up, enjoy themselves, and have some fun for once, it's also refreshing to hear them aspiring, just as passionately, to music of a more serious persuasion. In an environment that's reveled so long in the comfortability of tradition and flavor-of-the-month transitiveness, this kind of substantive art-rock is ripe for exploration. If Wilderness aren't quite kings of the mountain yet, it might just be that few others have yet traversed their fertile domain.
-Ryan Schreiber, June 24, 2005
