After a 16 year hiatus between albums, The Avalanches have finally released their 2nd effort named "Wildflower." The Australian Electronic group released their 1st album, "Since I Left You" in 2000 to widespread critical acclaim. They were incredibly unique because of their use of Plunderphonics. This style is known for altering audio samples and piecing them together in order to create a cohesive track. The project was delayed several times due to lineup changes, creative differences and solo projects. Despite the incredibly long wait, the album delivers as a whole and manages to transform their original album, into an entirely different entity, while retaining a variety of qualities that gives us a sense of familiarity.
The Avalanches excel in creating a living breathing world with their projects. Wildflower makes you feel as if you've been placed inside an old school cartoon. The lyrics are sparse which allows you to sit back and craft this mysterious world with your own imagination. It's glitzy, trippy and provides a sense of comfort. Wildflower manages to fuse Hip Hop, Electronic, Disco and Psychedelic rock. It also feels like a take on a Beatles album. The track "Noisy Eater" features lyrics from The Beatles song Come Together. The second half of the album features a string of shorter songs which hearken back to the medley from Abbey Road. Colors is another song that feels Beatles inspired due to its vocal delivery.
I truly admire the production and instrumentals available on Wildflower. I've been obsessed with Hip Hop for the past couple years because of this same reason. My brain has been wired to seek out ambitious production styles. Wildflower is one of the most well produced albums I have ever listened to. There are so many layers to peal apart from every single track. I notice something different each time I listen to it and couldn't have imagined how much time it took to put each track together. Given some time, I believe that "Wildflower" will achieve greater acclimation than its predecessor.
The best track on the entire album is "Frankie Sinatra.” The track samples vocal from "Bobby Sox Idol" by Wilmoth Houdini, "Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite" by The Beatles and the bridge of "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music. This song is the definition of carnival music. It’s bouncy, catchy and melodically stunning. I have never enjoyed the sounds of either the Trombone or Oboe but both are incorporated beautifully into the track. The Beatles sample plays a huge role by both ending the song and helping it smoothly transition in Subways. Both Danny Brown and MF DOOM are featured as rappers on the track. Danny Brown fused himself with the track and became one with it while MF DOOM feel out of place on the track but still did what he needed.
Another awesome track is "Because I'm me." The vocal sample feature "Why Can’t I Get It Too" by Six Boys in Trouble while the instrumental base is from the song "Want Ads" by The Honey Cone. The vocal sample takes you back to the 40s as if you were siting with your dad and listening to music on his record player. It’s a vintage song which oozes nostalgia but imprints itself as a staple of the present day musical culture. The message of the track is sincere and encourages us to be ourselves and to be proud of it. The orchestration bolstering the track is the best instrumental section on the entire album.
"Wildflower" is a near flawless album, but does have a few faults. The album thins out in terms of song quality after the title track but makes a brief comeback with "Kaleidoscope Lovers." The atmosphere of the project as a whole does not coincide with my own tastes. It’s overtly euphoric and at times sounds like an Oompa Loompa song from Willy Wonka. I also feel like some guest spots such as MF DOOM were forced and unnatural.
Wildflower's faults are entirely overshadowed by its triumphs. If there was a hall of fame for musical production this album would be one of the first that should be inducted. Its positive message and world building can leave one in awe. There were also a variety of solid guest spots featured. I also admire the effort that was put into the album with the apparent use of over 3,000 samples to complete Wildflower. It’s difficult to recommend the album to any one group other than Avalanche fans because of its uniqueness and diversity. Some may not understand the point of the album or may judge its vintage style. I would still recommend it to anyone that is opened minded to all types of music because it really deserves more attention.
