Taking a bold step, the Seattle-based rocker Night Wilds are dropping their concept album All That Should Have Been April 2024. Described by the band as “a story for all those who have struggled to make sense of their inner world and need the help of stories. It told the story of a child made to perform, unsure of who he is or was, and the journey through that madness and to the other side. It walks through all the phases a human has to go through to emerge from these dark places. It begins with the setting of the helplessness and total reliance of a baby and moves to what sense a child makes of a world where its needs are not met, the burdens taken on and the weight of those mind made manacles” All That Should Have Been takes us on an exciting sound journey. Let me tell you more about it.
All That Should Have Been opens with The Curtain, an intro that gives the listeners a glimpse of our story’s protagonist before moving forward into The Show. The Show boosts the expectations with killer guitar shredding, powerfully building up to what’s coming next as it escalates in a blasting crescendo. Mother comes next taking us to what I think is the beginning of our story, it opens up with the soothing sound of a child’s music box that as it progresses, takes a melancholic shape as it’s joined by dark orchestrations, incredibly touching piano, and soft expressive vocals seamlessly leading us to the next chapter, Fear. Reflecting the chaotic and uncertain nature of fear, Night Wilds used high reverb, distorted guitars, and an escalating vocal delivery that projects such a disturbing feeling, taking the record’s progression to the next level while marking a key moment in the story.
‘New Jerusalem’ comes next steering towards a calmer direction than its predecessor, opening up with a warm mix of organs and acoustic guitar melodies in a floating heartwarming flow. It slowly pushes forward toward a dramatic shift, shaking the song’s dynamics while keeping its emotional nature intact as it smoothly regains its flow. Night Wilds‘ writing skills shine brightly through Confusion’s multi-layered structure.
They slowly cooked that progression, steadily building up as the energy escalated creating a bigger, hard-hitting sound with orchestrations being introduced in perfect layering and arrangements, lifting the song’s atmosphere and making it precisely hit that deeply emotional spot. Control hits next with pounding drums, a driving groove, and distorted guitars, marking a rocking shift in All That Should Have Been’s sound as we’re nearly approaching the center of the record. It has a catchy sound with modern progressive rock elements and irresistible heavy riffs in a moving structure that keeps the listeners fully hooked and entertained. Heartland and Where We Go From Here come next acting as a resting point with their dreamy melodies and floating pace, projecting refreshing vibes through their open sound as they persistently move forward towards a bigger sound with subtle darkness growing and leading us to the next chapter. With mesmerizing arrangement and a haunting flow, City of Strangers comes next holding the best orchestrations off this record so far. Acting as a demonstration of Night Wilds‘ detailed writing, City of Strangers shows how they manage to cleverly juggle multiple elements in a unified stream without compromising their mood but carefully building on it with each step. A Long Way to Graceland starts peacefully taking the record’s dynamics higher with its bright sound and chill vibes, powerfully led by an emotionally expressive vocal melody that takes the listener by the hand throughout its mellow twists and turns. Joni keeps the mellow mood going preparing for No Way Home’s hard-hitting sound, highly melodic solos, and engaging flow, which I believe would sound awesome when played live encouraging fans to sing along with that super catchy vocal melody.
Tired unleashed a badass riff that got me at the edge of my seat, as Night Wilds kicked the energy to the roof with a solid groove and an ever-changing structure, intense shifts, and hooking melodies that keep the listeners hooked and entertained. Just A Moment comes next, steering towards a softer direction with warm acoustic melodies and more open sound, preparing for a massive change in sound on the next song Lost Light. It introduces a new side of Night Wilds’ writing with groovy atmospheric Eastern melodies and a dense detailed structure that offers very interesting twists and turns, making it one of the record’s well-crafted tunes. It has a massive sound with epic theatricals that provide the perfect setup as we approach the record’s end, showing top-notch writing making it my favourite song off All That Should Have Been. Where Do We Go From Here Version 2 marks a dramatic end of the story over its soothing melodies.
All That Should Have Been is a solid record by Night Wilds that tells a well-connected musical story, providing a unique sound experience that was patiently and cleverly written and arranged to perfectly reflect each and every emotion. Looking forward to more from Night Wilds, keep on rocking guys. Cheers!
