Streets of Laredo
Wild
Reviewed by: Ziggy Merritt
Brooklyn transplants, Streets of Laredo, are seeming adherents to the philosophy that bold decisions are inherently fraught with risk. With only a few recorded demos to their name before the move from native New Zealand, there was little reason to think that success, in whatever form it might take, would be guaranteed. Yet four years after their arrival it would appear the only thing keeping them from that success was time. Their sophomore album, Wild, is reflective of that journey, one that sees the five-piece finding and experimenting with their own voice.
With their hopeful debut, Streets of Laredo found some distinction within the crowded Americana/folk scene. Wild breaks out of that boxed-in territory, crafting a sound that adopts elements of chamber pop and sparse yet well-placed synths to enhance the liveliness of the vocals. The title track opening up the album does all of this sans synth and sets up the wide-eyed optimism that Wild giddily eschews. “We take our chances, we go out/
But not on our own” sings Sarahjane Gibson, giving the listener a chance to connect with the band’s own humble, uncertain beginnings.
“99.9” and “Remedies” crack more into the synth territory explored in partial on their second outing. While not out of place, the layer of buzzing, percussive synth is not yet an integral part of their evolving sound. There’s a more whimsical feel about it, something that fades into the background rather than enhances any particular aspect. The brightness of the horns on tracks like “Hammer and the Nail” does better to lend the album character, feeding into Streets of Laredo’s folksy origins while adopting a pop structure that suits them all too well. Whether intentioned or not that very pop structure gives their sophomore effort balance with an infectious, homespun lyricism eagerly anticipated in any future release.
Rating: Bad-Ass
