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Review: The Wild Feathers influenced by old school rock

By Staff | Mar 26, 2014

The Wild Feathers, hailing out of Nashville, have released their self-titled debut album on Warner Brothers Records. The five piece outfit has crafted a pleasant twelve song surprise that re-introduces a gimmick fueled musical environment to nice, plain rock ‘n’ roll. Much like the Black Crowes did in 1990, The Wild Feathers take their music and give it a much needed stripping of categories, labels, and modern cliches.

Call it Americana, southern R&B, ‘white boy’s’ blues, southern rock, country-rock, whatever you want. Underneath it all The Wild Feathers’ debut release is solid rock ‘n’ roll that fans in this digital age can look to and feel confident that music like this is not only still being made, but is still perfectly viable – both commercially and morally.

Influenced by American heroes like Tom Petty, Neil Young, David Crosby, Gram Parsons, etc., The Wild Feathers new release hits a nice sweet spot consistently, as the entire record plays through from beginning to end. The music is layered and full with sweet melodies and harmonies, but manages to stay far from convoluted and confused. Good examples of this would be songs like “The Ceiling” and “If You Don’t Love Me”. Simplicity is at the center of the musical concept, but do not mistake that fact for anything but the ability to achieve musical clarity. The Wild Feathers’ brand of rock ‘n’ roll gladly shows its roots and is full of heart, soul, and feeling, that you can hear fresh out of the gate.

The songwriting is quite reminiscent of many of the aforementioned influences. The songs have a solid substance and uncanny ability to resonate and ring out long after the record has finished. So many hooks, yet so little mind space. Songs like “American,” “Tall Boots,” “Left My Woman” and “Got It Wrong” have an impeccable knack to linger because of the sugary sweet chorus lines and vocal harmonies.

Bands like The Wild Feathers don’t seem to be given chances like this anymore. It’s almost like stepping into a time warp, where record labels were at least somewhat interested in a group’s ability to produce quality music and songs that would live longer than a year or two, with a shelf life of decades in the future. Labels rarely sign bands like The Wild Feathers, plain and simple, so hats off to Warner Brothers. This debut release just goes to show that when everything you hear on the radio and TV seems to be prefabricated and disposable with absolutely no heart, there is real, quality music being created under the radar and in the shadows.