It’s been a hot minute since we’ve heard any new music from The Wild Romantics.
Hot on the heels of their success in the Peak Performance Project and The Zone’s Band of the Month, it felt as if The Wild Romantics were unstoppable. Their intense and smouldering stage presence coupled with energetic live shows made them a photographer’s dream. With their momentum gaining, the band recorded the Feel the Lightnin’ EP with Jordan Klassen and Rolla Olak. Eventually, they decided to shelve the album in favour of the prospect of heading east.
After a year of soul searching in Toronto, Aleisha Kalina and Evan Miller felt the undeniable call to return the West Coast. Now settled in Vancouver, they decided it was finally time to dust off Feel the Lightnin’ and release the five song EP.
This new EP feels like a return to form for The Wild Romantics, as singer-songwriters Aleisha and Evan embrace their strengths with their dynamic duets, country heart, folk roots and rock sensibility.
The band’s first single, Hungry Teeth, is a dusty melodic ballad that makes you think of long southwestern desert drives. It’s the type of song that would be a welcome addition to our Dust Devils Mixtape.
The addition of Rory Froese on guitar — as well as Nick Petro’s rhythmic drumming on Hungry Teeth — form a near flawless effort which shows off the charm of The Wild Romantics. This is a musical direction the band could easily easily slip into, and we would be very happy to listen to.
Tracks like Cheyenne, San Francisco, and Long Blue Highway are romantic serenades filled with longing and distance. There is an unmatched love and sentiment between this duo that carries throughout the record both lyrically and emotionally.
Arguably the biggest downfall of this EP is the short length. It certainly leaves one wanting more.
Feel the Lightnin’ is a summer storm. A warm breeze, heavy clouds, a desperate search for shelter in someone’s arms, and just as soon as you are swept away in awe of the storm, it is almost over.
Listen to Feel the Lightnin’ below or download/stream iTunes, Bandcamp, Spotify or Soundcloud.