(Captured Tracks)
RECOMMENDED
Dream pop of the ‘90s lives on in this elegant one-man synthpop nod to Belle & Sebastian, Lush, and the Las. Virginian Jack Tatum crafts chamber pop songs under a sensory-overload electrical storm. Modesty is his power and his failing both; the songs are subtle enough to benefit from his polished, big-idea digital arrangements, but at times they seem to beg for more breathing room, and more willfully expressive vocals.
Attempting to fully grasp Gemini, Tatum’s full-length debut under the self-deprecating rubric Wild Nothing, feels too much like predicting the future: the group’s entity and formation are still a work in progress. Only after the completion of Gemini did WN become an actual complete band for the sake of live shows that have reportedly proven more engaging than the record begins to let on. Tatum is still in the process of discovering his voice as well. Affecting a Stuart Murdoch (“Live in Dreams”) slash Kevin Shields (“O Lilac”) nonchalance at first, the second half of the album sees him periodically stretching to a convincing, melodic Billy Corgan screech on the shimmering “Bored Games” and even a bit of cooing Morrissey on the Ronettes (by way of the Jesus and Mary Chain) clone “My Angel Lonely.”
Whether this is Tatum’s permanent project or not, he’s one to watch, and even if few songs on the album stand apart, its textured, chilly, intimate mood will make it a favorite for many. It perfectly captures the gothic mood of sub-Nirvana alternative in the days of 120 Minutes, a trip well worth taking again.
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