Music Review // Awolk "Wild Rose"

Awolk has a way about making music which can sound both familiar and new at the same time which is certain to draw you in for the familiarity, but keep you around for the fresh mix of sounds   As the "Wild Rose" EP begins with the titular track, there are acoustics which can begin to drive into electrics and I'm hearing bits of Pink Floyd musically, but am also thinking of similar musicians such as Milky Chance  By the second song, "Forno", this is made even more clear as it can remind me of the rock sound of Pinback yet contain those acoustics still.  The way that these two sounds flow so freely is what makes this music so special.

The sound isn't quite a band like Twenty One Pilots or Glass Animals, but it has that same idea just combined with the acoustics of a folk project, maybe even something such as Elliott Smith, which comes out more in the song "Someone".  At times I also think of artists such as Flora Cash who do combine those electronics with acoustics, but what Awolk is doing here is the same ingredients but a different recipe.   By "Take You Away" we hit the second half of the EP and the songs lean closer to traditional folk / acoustic rock songs, but there are still elements which make them stand out.

Even as "Into The Void" can feel more upbeat it closes out with these jamming electric guitars, almost like the blues, and it has a sort of magical way about it.   By "Faded Love" I'm also thinking of artists such as Tom Petty, bringing out more of that classic rock sound to this.   If you listen to and enjoy current music on the radio which can be on the rock or pop station- such as Neon Trees- but also have that fondness for classic rock which can be kind of chill, then you take those ideas and combine them with this being that ultimately acoustic experience, as that seems to be the root of all of these songs, then you're going to really love this.

When you are able to fully grasp the concept of this EP musically, you'll begin to hear the lyrics.  Awolk tells stories through these songs, stories of love.  Lines like "With all the things that make me heal" let you know where these songs will take you on your journey- forward, not backwards.   Just like the music itself, the lyrics and overall vibe of this "Wild Rose" EP will make you think about the past and the present, but it will prepare you for and hopefully usher you into a new era in the future.  This is called progress and I'm glad that music is able to take us to these new and exciting places.