Nocturne

Wild Nothing | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 28, 2012)
• Original Release Date: 2012
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Captured Tracks
• ASIN: B008JEJVXG
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,217 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Shadow

2. Midnight Song

3. Nocturne

4. Through the Grass

5. Only Heather

6. This Chain Won't Break

7. Disappear Always

8. Paradise

9. Counting Days

10. The Blue Dress

11. Rheya

Editorial Reviews

Gemini was written before there were Wild Nothing fans or even a live band; Nocturne is different. The obsessiveness of Nocturne is inherent in it's gentle harmonies, orchestrated synths, wandering voice, and songs that speak of his post-Gemini experiences as he explores new paradoxes of pop. And yet Nocturne isn't obvious, it is a strange and distinctive musical beast, the product of an obsessive pop vision that creates its own reality.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Even better than the real thing... August 29, 2012

By J. Hubner

Format:Audio CD

The noise du jour for the last year or so has been a mix of 4AD gothiness and early 80s alternative. A hazy, reverb-drenched nostalgia trip topped with synth patches, Fender Jazzmasters and gender neutral vocals. Production values that are a tip of the hat to Martin Hannett, and a wink and a nod to Robert Smith and the Cure's Pornography. Over the last two years there have been a steady stream of these youngsters raiding their mom and dad's record collection and finding that mom and dad were a lot cooler than they thought.

Wild Nothing actually was in the forefront of this alternative 80s nostalgia trip. In 2010 they released the excellent Gemini, followed by the equally retro-licious Golden Haze e.p. later that year. Wild Nothing's main guy Jack Tatum took some time to come up with the follow-up LP, and it shows. Nocturne is more concise, clear-eyed and focused than any of the previous releases. He seems to have found the perfect balance between his influences and his own voice.

'Shadow' opens the album with an airiness of a long forgotten summer dream. It brings to mind a car ride to town, sitting in the backseat of your parents' car with the radio playing something that nearly lulls you to sleep. These are 80s dreams re-invented in the age of iPads and social networks. 'Nocturne' reminds me of what Ariel Pink could do if he upgraded his recording technique a bit and stopped having the nightmares. 'Through The Glass' has a big sound with reverbed drums and vocals and a tight acoustic guitar. 'Only Heather' has a Real Estate vibe to it, with a 'beating the steering wheel' drive to it. This is a song you crank driving on the toll road cruising into Chicago for the night. 'Rheya' closes the album as the dream pop cherry on the melancholy sundae called Nocturne.

I admit it. I'm a sucker for 80s alternative. I love it. It puts me in a happy place. The mix of melancholy moods, reminiscing about a day long gone and people that are now merely ghosts in your present that you were once close with in your past. This music is human nature, done up with a dance beat, clean guitar lines, synth melodies and a voice lost in the analog wilderness. Merchandis, Diiv, Real Estate, Frankie Rose and Craft Spells are doing it right. Wild Nothing was at the forefront of this musical renaissance, and continues to stay there with Nocturne.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Dreamy, Ethereal, and Reverb Drenched August 28, 2012

By T. A. Daniel TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Audio CD

Jack Tatum's Wild Nothing made a pretty impressive showing with its last album, GEMINI. The debut album was a beautiful collection of lo-fi, reverb-drenched dream pop. Comparisons were drawn to The Smiths, The Cure, Joy Division, New Order, and a variety of other 80's new-wave bands. The comparisons are apt: Tatum's music lends a lot of tonal cache to the nostalgic bands of decades past. Wild Nothing's music isn't unoriginal though; while it may be inspired by the work of others, Wild Nothing is a band that could have only existed now. The band's second album, NOCTURNE, feels like GEMINI with a bigger budget. It's not quite as lo-fi, but the same shoe-gazing soundscapes are here.

Lead track "Shadow," (and also one of the album's singles) is an immediate mission-statement. Most of what you need to know about the album can be found in its first track: reverb-drenched vocals, an airy and loose quality to the instrumentation, romantic lyrics -- it's all represented here. "Paradise" takes listeners on a strange sonic journey that leads through multiple arrangements, sustained by Tatum's more baritone vocals. "This Chain Won't Break" and "Disappear Always" are a little more grounded than Tatum's normal dream-pop work, and the detour proves to be a successful one. While Wild Nothing is good at being romantic and dreamy, some of the most successful songs feature the band playing to their most "normal."

Fans of Beach House, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, or The Horrors (more recent output) would be advised to check out Wild Nothing's work. While I still prefer their debut, GEMINI, NOCTURNE is a solid listening experience. Essential tracks to sample/download: "This Chain Won't Break," "Disappear Always," and "Shadow." This album proves that GEMINI wasn't a fluke and that songwriter Jack Tatum is a musical identity to keep an eye on.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars 80's infused brilliance December 7, 2012

By J. Pearson

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

All I can say is WOW here! I can't stop listening to this album. One of the best of the year for sure. It reminds me of some of the best stuff from the 80's, but in an updated way. Dreamy, goose-bump inducing tunes with poetic lyrics that actually seem relevant and relatable. "Through the Grass" is my favorite, but they're all awesome.