WILDES creates a genuine and emotionally resonant listening experience on her debut album Other Words Fail Me
WILDES image via Sequoia Ziff
WILDES’ debut album, Other Words Fail Me, is a thrilling introductory project that showcases the young artist’s raw talent and vulnerability.
Produced by: St Francis Hotel
WILDES’ debut album, Other Words Fail Me, is a thrilling introductory project that showcases the young artist’s raw talent and vulnerability. Throughout the album, the London-born artist captivates listeners with her powerful lyrics, emotive melodies, and intimate production.
The opening track, ‘Woman In Love,’ sets the tone for the rest of the album with its soulful, guitar-driven sound and deeply personal lyrics. WILDES’ smooth and stirring vocals convey her heartbreak and longing as she sings about the pain of a failed relationship.
She interrogates:
“Is it jealousy keeping you from letting me go? / Why’s the melody sitting like a lump in my throat? / How would you know everything I’ll become? / How would you know I’m a woman in love?”
One of the standout tracks on the album is ‘Far And Wide.’ The album’s third single is about the lengths someone will go to when they are in love. WILDES’ emotive vocals are particularly striking on this track. Coupled with the song’s powerful message, the track is further elevated by its beautifully crafted melody and far-reaching production.
‘Flames,’ written in 2019, is another high mark. If you were looking for a track to showcase WILDES’ ability to craft stripped-down melodies, this is it. The song’s sparse, atmospheric production, and ethereal vocals create a sense of an otherworldly, dreamlike atmosphere that perfectly complements the song’s theme of a desire to change.
Here’s Walker discussing the track:
“It was a time where I felt really useless, musically,” she explains “I was really without direction. I had a strong connection with it emotionally: it was all about running into the flames when you’re in a really dark, sad place, and deciding that you’re going to change.”
Produced by St Francis Hotel (Little Simz, Greentea Peng, and Micahel Kiwanuka) the album also features The Flaming Lips on its stunning closer and latest single ‘True Love.’
Already, Ella Walker knows that Other Words Fail Me is her greatest achievement to date.
“It symbolises so much,” she says. “It absolutely changed my life, and I’m so proud we were able to make it. I just want it to touch people: I hope if anyone hears it, it resonates with them, because I put so much into it. I want it to make a difference to people’s lives.”
And we agree… Other Words Fail Me is an impressive and deeply moving debut album from WILDES. Her raw talent and vulnerability are on full display throughout the record, making for a genuine and emotionally resonant listening experience. Whether you’re a fan of soulful pop or intimate, introspective songwriting, Other Words Fail Me is an album that is well worth your time.
Standout Songs: Far And Wide, Flames, True Love (ft. The Flaming Lips)
Release Date: January 13
7.4
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