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The self-titled EP from Boston noise-rock trio Wildlife is most comparable to the compact efforts of Sonic Youth in the early nineties. Thick with effects and static-crammed production, Wildlife experiment throughout four tracks of dissonance and discord. At times, it is more appropriate to label such a release an 'exercise' in musical creation rather than an EP, as the specific compositions are probably less memorable than the overall feel of the CD. Multi-instrumentalists Andy Crane, Willy Nilz, and Matthew Rogers wail and scream their way through the songs, often accomplishing little else than saturating the already-overflowing eruption of noise. While they manage to sonically cover a lot of ground, their result is almost always the same. Opening with "Sit on the Ground," Wildlife transform a veiled, dark bass line into a screaming vocal attack. Fuzzed-out guitars and squeals go punch for punch with the growling bass and striking attack of the percussion. Nilz' snare is particularly cutting, nearly as much as the cymbals. Yet, as evidenced by "Love," the abrasiveness of their sound seems to stem directly from the vocals. The closer "My Song" features manic crooning over an acoustic progression and drums with cathedral reverb, yet still comes across as powerfully biting. Largely, Wildlife is not something that will be accessible to listeners looking for instrumental or experimental rock; it is without question built on a foundation of experimental noise.

Wildlife at Amazon & Insound