So much of what makes music subjective is mood; both the mood of the listener and the mood of the music they are listening to. By naming their album Sun Soaked The Wild Complete have perfectly summed up the bright and summery mood and sound of the songs on this album. The listener would ideally have to be in a similar disposition when listening to the album in order to enjoy it fully. For example, when it comes to the kitsch use of a group of children singing the refrain at the conclusion of “My Bird” it’s the listener’s state of mind that will determine whether they find it perfectly fits into the sunny surroundings of the song or if it is too saccharine for its own good.
If you are in a good, summery mood, this is a perfect album to throw on in the background on a sunny day, or if you’re in a slump, there are certainly moments on Sun Soaked that may be able to lift you out of it. The band has quite vividly evoked the scorching heat and brightness of their home in Arizona on here. The majority of the tracks on this album have a simple verse-chorus-verse structure, and each of the choruses is full of life and energy, which is reinforced when the band extends and beefs up the chorus and adds some stirring gang vocals to play out the end of the song. Essentially, this is The Wild Complete’s blueprint for a song; lucky for them they write songs catchy and lively enough to pull it off time and time again.
There are a couple of darker songs that should be mentioned though; “Emptiness” and “Church House.” The former takes the above formula and uses it with some minor chords to conjure feelings of uselessness, but the latter, far more interestingly, is something quite different from the rest of the album. Coming directly after the delightful and uplifting opening triplet, “Church House” begins with the sound of rain, simple acoustic guitar and banjo plucking. Over the course of the song singer Ryan Burian gradually releases his inner Conor Oberst, as this tale of intrigue on stormy seas unfolds; a certain highlight of the album.
Overall Sun Soaked is an extremely enjoyable record that deserves more exposure. The Wild Complete have compiled an album full of refreshing songs full of animated and jovial vocals, fantastic melodies that are often enhanced by the use of xylophone and harpsichord, and there isn’t a single misstep. It may not be the most original of album but if you’re looking for something filled with happiness and exuberance then look no further; this one’s packed.
