Remember back in the days when everything made sense? If you bought and listened to VAN HALEN II, or watched Rocky III, you knew where to place that chapter in the appropriate context. Linear, rational thought mattered in those days. These days? Not so much, as San Fran upstarts WILDILDLIFE's debut record "Six" tells us.

Maybe it's the abbreviated shelf life of most modern bands that has inspired these boys to get ahead of themselves, like maybe the wishful thinking of naming their first record "Six" will somehow grant them longevity. But enough of that...we've already spent more time discussing the album title than the band spent thinking about what to name it, so let's move on. As expected, WILDILDLIFE is a band that wears their unconventionality on their sleeve. Their music defies rock n' roll convention as much as their album title does. This is the brand of quirky, shoe-gazey nerd rock that has been quietly taking over the world for the last couple of years. The drum sound is mighty, and the production is spot-on for this type of music. You can tell the engineer just cranked the room mics during the bands performance and then went out for a smoke. The seven tracks that comprise the album provide the perfect vehicle to present the band's carefully constructed feedback over subtly varying tempos and moods. The vocals featured on the album turn from angry to morose on a dime, and are probably the band's strongest asset. WILDILDLIFE take their time on many of the songs, but it's the 18 + minute "Magic Jordan" that is undoubtedly the record's centerpiece. It begins with a long passage consisting of low, ambient guitars and an eerie vocal line that falls somewhere between new age mumbo jumbo and the GODSMACK song "Voodoo." Things build up from there, and before you know it, things are mellow again, giving you ample time to back the bowl. This time out, the wind chimes and creaky rocking chair noises are let loose, really driving the mood of the song home.

The band is not without certain moments of inspiration. They are able to really derive some memorable sections through all the chaos, but much what they produce settles in the background, not demanding too much of the listener's attention. WILDILDLIFE could really stand to narrow their focus a tad. This criticism begs the question: does the world need a "Seven?" Doubtful. Maybe a "Five."

- Broadbent

OFFICIAL SITE: myspace.com/wildildlife

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