Song(s) of the Day # 2,225 Wilsen

Mystery and enigma are wonderful cards for a band to play and Brooklyn trio Wilsen have both in spades if you'll forgive the weak pun. For a while, back in 2017, I was really taken by their debut album I Go Missing In My Sleep which seemed to defy easy categorisation and have a lot more to give than it immediately imparted. Now they're back with their second long player Ruiner and it's a case of promise fulfilled if the couple of plays I've given it  thus far are anything to go by.

If any comparisons were to be made, they might be with fellow Brooklyners Big Thief with whom they share a definite interiority and ethereal yearning. Ruiner is produced by Andrew Sarlo who has also helmed every Big Thief record so far and it shows. Many of the tracks here sound similar in tone to that masterful band without ever aping them. Wilsen forge out a definite identity of their own on the eleven tracks here and the record as a whole is both immersive and deeply impressive.

What the subject matter of their material might be is more difficult to gauge as vocalist Tamsin Wilson's lyrics are generally buried deep in the mix and what the listener can gather is for the most part fragmented and avoids obvious narrative trajectory. This isn't frustrating for a moment and doesn't lessen the impact of the record one bit as the objective of the songs is clearly designed to be impressionistic rather than conventionally coherent.

I'm curious as to how much Ruiner will reward further plays. I strongly suspect it will because my initial listening experience has been intriguing to say the least. Wilsen spin an intriguing web indeed and by not playing their cards all at once should leave listeners wanting for more.

I found myself drawn in deeper track by track here and by the time the record had run its course I was utterly under its spell. If Big Thief do actually have a year away from putting out records which might be a possibility given their remarkably prolific recent streak, Ruiner may well prove the go to record for those suffering withdrawal symptoms. A veritable gem!