We The Wild – Vol. 1

We The Wild may be still in their infancy, but members Ant West and Casey Roarty already know what they’re doing. Representing half of the band Futures, who split at the end of last year, We The Wild sound further away from Futures than just a few months. Describing themselves as Alt-Pop is almost inviting Alt-J/Everything Everything/Bastille comparisons, but it would be lazy and unfair to pass We The Wild off as more of the same. I can definitely hear elements of other artists from their genre, especially Alt-J in You Lost My Mind, but this doesn’t take anything away from We The Wild’s own sound. As We The Wild have already got the blessing of Zane Lowe and co. it’s only a matter of time before they’re all over the place.

We The Wild’s EP, which was released on the 11th November, is a clever collection of sounds which leaves more to be anticipated for a future album. The crackly feedback in the opening to You Lost My Mind sounds homemade instead of polished, which would make sense as the EP was home studio produced. The wistful lyrics of the chorus - “Hold your head up high/Elevate your mind” - is powerful enough to get everyone singing along to (or at least trying to).

The single Body Electric has to be a highlight from the EP. The introductory piano sounds heavy but uplifting at the same time, and is a nice reminder that not all instruments have to be replaced by an electric counterpart. We The Wild’s interesting harmonies and time given to the drums get my full approval. Also, paying attention to their lyrical life lessons probably wouldn’t hurt either; “You’ve got to take your time in love/You’ve got to hold on”.

The final two tracks, Daisy May and Float, sound more unpredictable. With erratic baselines building up only to then fall away, We The Wild don’t sound safe or trapped within a ‘comfort zone’. The ending to Float is abrupt, yet an apt way to finish off the EP.

So even though it’s still early days for We The Wild, their first UK tour starts Tuesday 26th November in Manchester and finishes in Nottingham on Saturday 30th. As they’re based in London I’m sure they’ll be down South sometime soon. But I do stand by the belief that We The Wild wouldn’t sound out of place in a particularly tense scene of Made In Chelsea. Listening to their EP you can hear how great the duo would sound live, and you can still have a good time listening to them around the house.