Evan Wright - Sound From Out the Window Review
Wright has put so much thought into Sound From Out The Window, whether that's with the production or the lyrical themes of isolation, loneliness and trying to move forward.
The debut album from Evan Wright is a dazzling collection of nine psychedelic-folk tracks. The record follows early singles as well as his Spaghetti Western EP, which earned some promising buzz online. Sound from Out The Window is a collection of songs that explore the feelings of nostalgia. The musicianship on this album is sublime, with every song providing something new in terms of mood or instrumentation. Recorded at home in New York, it features music that spans folk to psychedelic rock, covering many sounds and styles while retaining an organic feel due to Wright playing every instrument on the record himself. Sound From Out The Window is a strikingly beautiful debut album.
Wright’s music has been compared to that of contemporaries such as Weyes Blood and Ariel Pink. This is not only because he works with similar instruments but also due to the similarities in mood between all three artists. These comparisons are obvious, especially when listening to tracks like 'People' or 'Turn The Other Way'.
The music is lush and well-written. Album opener 'People' has gorgeous harpsichord and slinking guitars. The track, like much of the album, feels both intimate and vast, with its references to spaces of emptiness contrasting with its wide-open soundscapes. It’s a song that deals with nostalgic feelings and wanting to relive old experiences again, but coming to terms that they are just fading memories.
The next track ‘IDM’ starts with an almost funky percussive melody and stunning guitar and keys. The powerful piano chords majestically bewitch the listener, leaving Wright’s sultry vocals to croon painfully. Lyrically, you can feel Wright’s isolation and remorse in his repetitive mantra of “I don’t mind”. The arrangement towards the end of the track is an entrancing cacophony of interweaving reverb-drenched instruments. ‘Just a Sign’ is one of the strongest tracks, echoing the beautiful piano instrumentation of the previous track. There’s that sense of pain and longing on this track that resonates deep. The production on this track is warm and the weird guitar glitch stutters are a personal highlight.
'Turn The Other Way' has an almost enchanting quality about it musically, while the lyrics talk of loneliness in the big city. Lyrically Wright talks of learning to let it go, referring to the people he may have lost along the way. Wright asks ‘Why do people change?’ a strong theme that rides the under currents of this debut. This song has something epic about it or certainly positive. The track could easily be at the end of a John Hughes movie. The title track ‘Sound from out the Window’ is another dusty, psychedelic folk song. The production choices on this song make it otherworldly and compelling. Its instrumental ending abruptly cuts short and the listener is thrust into ‘Change’, a slightly more acoustic track, starting with just guitars. This is another track that ends with a beautiful instrumental ending.
‘Morning Light’ has one of the strongest choruses on the album, with its disjointed broken guitar arpeggios. There’s something about this track that has a sense of anger or disappointment.
The first song to be written for the album was ‘On The Line.’ Evan had gotten inspiration when he wrote out the lyrics while walking through Union Park on his iPhone. He tried capturing ideas as they came up, and that's where he got inspired by saying "everywhere I go there's a cloud hanging over me," which is part of what ended up being recorded in this track. The last track on the album, ‘Ride’ feels like a summary. It’s a really simple song. It has some nice drums and music box quality music in the background that adds to its beauty. The harmonies towards the end of the track are a nice touch and sweet and gentle ending to an inescapably well-made album.
Wright's music is intimate, slow-moving, and personal. He has a talent for creating understanding in his listeners by using quiet songs that make others empathize with him because they can relate to feeling lonely or misunderstood themselves.
This album is more than just music for music's sake though; it also serves as an autobiography of sorts with each track serving as a reflection of memory or experience from Wright’s life and the whole album is contemplative of people and relationships that may have not had the happiest endings. Wright has put so much thought into this album, whether that's with the production or the lyrical themes of isolation, loneliness and trying to move past that. It is an easy album to get into and as it progresses you start to notice its depth. Wright has done a great job with this debut album, let's hope his next one comes sooner rather than later!