Get ready to dive into Wild Pink’ssixth longplayer,Still Coming Down, which clocks in at just under 33 minutes. The notably concise record findsfrontmanJohn Ross trimming the fat in favor of swaggering rock and roll. After the songwriter’s battle with cancer and being a father for the first time, he learned there was plenty of meaning to be found in going back to the basics. The band’s approach exemplifies this newfound vantage point, even if the album would havebenefitedby creating some space every now and then.
Wild Pinkleaninto the fact that this is a genuine rock record with big arrangements and even bigger riffs. The recording process at Drop of Sun Studios in Asheville, North Carolina, with producer Alex Farrar (Wednesday, Indigo De Souza, Snail Mail) included contributions by Meg Duffy (Hand Habits) and MJ Lenderman and his band, the Wind. Wild Pink approached the tracks with a mindsetof not overthinking, and the atmosphere perfectly complemented that vision. For somebody who always wore his heart on his sleeve, Ross said, “Strangely, I feel like I’ve found my voice on this record.”
Still Coming Downfinds the band locked into the moment, marked by churning guitars, tinkling piano keys, the ever-present pedal steel guitar, fiddle, horns, and an array of other instruments that work to surprising effect (check out “Like Water”). Some of the magic can be attributed to Lenderman’s contributions and his allegiance to artists like Neil Young and Jason Molina. Even though all the pieces have been there forever, the countrified rock of “Plates Keep Spinning” presents anotherfacetto Wild Pink’s sound.
At times, Ross rattles off cultural facts in favor of substance (perhaps thatwas the key ingredient that brought him and Lenderman together). Instead of recounting the final years of Jordan’s playing career or closing the case on Donnie Brasco, he is now consumed with movie stars of yesteryear, Billy Beane, capers, and sports gambling. The single “RoundofApplauseattheEndoftheWorld” about the assassinations of John and Bobby Kennedy takes it a step further by creating tension at key moments to powerful effect.
Still, we learn that Ross has concluded he no longer knows what his idea of fun is.Beyond all the trivia is a call for simplicity. Lyrics from “Box Store” (“Getting going is easy to do / Get one foot out the door then the other one too”), “Like Water” (“From here on out I justwannamake it count”), and the aptly named “Simple” (“SoI’m keeping it simple / Like a river / Just keep moving on”) signal that the tide is starting to shift.
OnStill Coming Down, the singer’s knack for storytelling takes a back seat to those crunchy chords taking center stage. During the songwriting process, Ross reflected on the grunge music that inspired him as a teenager andattemptedto achieve similar moments of catharsis. Whatresultedsoundsconsiderably moremeasured than the raw emotion of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, or even Tad, but the record still hits with notable urgency.
Similar tohow grunge has been simplified to a few conventional taglines, the LP runs the risk of being reduced to little more than fuzzed-out guitars.Moreover, just when it feels like things are really humming along, the music comes to an abrupt halt, almost as suddenly as the record began.One can only imagine that the record was meant to be played on repeat, which is a good thing because it will take multiple listens to decipher much of the rewarding nuance packed within.