Album Review: Wild Rivers - Sidelines

Wild Rivers have suddenly found themselves all grown up. Formed in the hazy, feel-good days of college, the band developed in the bliss of young adulthood, a time when the present was all there was. Now, they have opened the door to their future – and aren't quite sure what they've found on the other side.

Sidelines, their new album, chronicles just that. Resting somewhere at the nostalgic, soulful intersection of pop, folk and indie-rock, the album weaves together introspective lyrics with gorgeous, swelling instrumentation. Though at times bordering on contrived, Sidelines paints a poignant portrait of growth, life, and the joys of the unknown.

'More or Less', is both the albums first, and strongest track. The song begins as a simple, stripped down recitation of things lost to time, establishing a bittersweet nostalgia with lyrics, "First school, drove right past it/ That car was automatic." It continues to build layer by layer, vocalist Devan Glover's voice joining Khalid Yassien. It's not the verses though, which sometimes land lyrically in the shallow end, that define the song. It's the chorus, whose repeating line of "the more I see, the less I know about anything" and sharp guitar break, that adds the necessary texture to the track.

Though the album contains several breakthroughs of vulnerability and self-reflection, such as in 'Weatherman' with lyrics "just right, not enough/ look around you're missing all the good stuff," there are also instances of cookie-cutter lyricism, most notably on 'Stubborn Heart'. Where other songs delve deeply personal experiences, 'Stubborn Heart' stands as a pop-y, slightly tired love anthem, not adding much to the album as a whole.

The penultimate 'Neon Stars', however, redeems the album in terms of authenticity. The most folk-driven track on the project, 'Neon Stars' is simple, light and necessary. With the backing of just slightly distorted strumming, soft piano and the occasional whisper of an electric guitar riff, the song adds a slight grit to the album, a break from some of the more polished pop ballads. It's here that Glover and  Yassein are able to truly marry their voices, letting their lyrics shine through.

All in all, Sidelines is a strong release from the Canadian threesome, whose tales of navigating the liminal space of post-college feel both raw, and considered. A lyric from 'More or Less,' sums up their message best: "guess somethings gotta end."