On the tail-end of a monolithic North American tour, Wild Nothing took on a packed Brooklyn Steel with all the shimmering ‘80s pop influence of new album Indigo.
Wild Nothing
Montreal’s Men I Trust promise “smooth sounds, calm melodies and simple rhythms that relax you while making your right foot tap and your chin bounce to the beats.” They delivered that and much more as they kicked off the night. With songs built to lift you up and carry you through on the crest of a wave with repetitive movements and warm, welcoming vocals, they entranced the crowd with the swells of “Tailwhip” and “Show Me How.”
The vast hall of Brooklyn Steel fit Wild Nothing’s newest release perfectly. Taking influence from lead singer/guitarist and founder Jack Tatum’s favorite ‘80s albums, expansive atmosphere and “big” sounds are the album’s calling card. It doesn’t need to swell to fill the high ceilings and great area that the venue stretches to. The piano drives “Wheel of Misfortune,” their second song of the set and first off the new album, through its unhurried melodies, and “Partners in Motion” sees the introduction of a smoldering sax and fluctuating synths.
The band pays tribute to the fan-favorites, with enthusiastic audience response from “Live in Dreams” – the first song Tatum, as he tells us, wrote for Wild Nothing – and “Whenever I,” the only song played from their last album, Life of Pause. They close out on “Letting Go,” the opening track for Indigo and a romantic callback to the “Golden Haze” era with classic dream-pop elements, before returning for an encore that begins with the animated “Chinatown” and end with Wild Nothing’s uncanny ability to build an everlasting atmosphere still hanging above us.