REVIEW: Wildernesses - Growth
- Con Macadam
- 5h
- 3 min read
There’s something quietly overwhelming about Growth, the debut record from London’s WILDERNESSES. It’s not overwhelming in volume or intensity, but in the way it makes you feel. This is an album that asks you to slow down and sit in your thoughts, to notice what’s around you, and to reflect on things you might usually avoid. It’s genuinely beautiful, not in a polished or artificial way, but in how raw and honest it feels.
Rooted somewhere between the atmospheric swell of EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY and the fragile intimacy of BON IVER, WILDERNESSES craft a sound that feels both expansive and deeply personal. They exist in that space between shoegaze, post-rock, and alt-folk, but what defines Growth isn’t genre, it’s emotion. Everything is built around feeling, from the angelic vocal harmonies to the carefully layered instrumentation that never overpowers, only supports.
The opening stretch of the album sets the tone perfectly. Sleepless, an instrumental, feels almost meditative. Smooth electric guitar lines and a gentle drum build create something that’s not just pleasant to listen to, but genuinely reflective. It doesn’t feel like an introduction so much as an invitation into the album’s world. That seamless transition into Happy Hollow only deepens that feeling, with soft, layered vocals and delicate harmonies that feel almost weightless. The guitar line weaves around the vocals rather than sitting beneath them, creating this sense of everything moving together in one emotional current.
One of the album’s strongest qualities is the ability to shift without ever breaking that atmosphere. Tracks like [Dread] bring a more powerful, driven energy, with stronger vocals that cut through more directly. It’s a reminder that emotional intensity doesn’t always mean quietness, and the contrast only makes the softer moments hit harder. That’s especially true with English Darkness, which stands out as one of the most affecting points on the record. The stripped-back feel allows the vocals to take centre stage, and they’re stunning in their clarity. The lower register feels grounded and intimate, while the harmonies sit so deeply in the mix they almost feel physical. It’s the kind of track that makes you pause, not because it demands attention, but because it deserves it.
Elsewhere, songs like Maintenance carry a weight that’s hard to ignore. There’s something in the way the lyrics and instrumentation come together that feels almost overwhelming in its honesty. It’s the kind of song that makes you want to cry without fully understanding why, which feels fitting for an album so centred around reflection and internal experience. Even in its quieter or shorter moments, like Cassino, the album never loses its sense of purpose. These tracks don’t feel like filler, they feel like space. Space to breathe, to process, to sit with everything the album is asking you to feel. By the time Summertime, 1917 closes the record, there’s a sense that you’ve been taken somewhere rather than just listened to something. It’s a powerful ending, slightly more uplifted musically, but still rooted in the same emotional core. It doesn’t try to resolve everything neatly, and that’s what makes it work. Life doesn’t resolve cleanly, and neither does Growth.
What makes this album stand out is how cohesive it feels. There are no skips, no moments that feel unnecessary. Every track contributes to the overall experience, building something that feels immersive and complete. It’s rare to find a debut that feels this fully realised, this confident in what it wants to be. At its core, Growth is about reflection. About grief, resilience, and the quiet ways people carry on. It doesn’t present these ideas in an obvious or over-explained way, it lets you feel them instead. And that’s where its strength lies. But more than that, Growth feels important. Not just as a debut, but as a piece of art that meets people where they are. It captures something difficult to put into words, that feeling of being human in the middle of everything, the pain, the beauty, the confusion, and the quiet endurance of it all.
In a time where so much music competes to be louder, faster, or more immediate, WILDERNESSES have created something that does the opposite. Growth gives you permission to slow down, to reflect, and to feel without judgement. The kind you return to when you need to process, to understand, or simply to not feel alone in what you’re carrying. And in that sense, Growth isn’t just a beautiful record. It’s a necessary one.
Score: 10/10
Growth will be released on 27th March 2026 via Floodlit Recordings
Words: Con Macadam
Photos: Joey Atchison
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