‘Wildflower’ By The Avalanches Album Review: 16 Years In The Making And Doesn’t Disappoint

It’s been 16 years since the Australian The Avalanches released their debut album Since I Left You. It established them in their sample-rich niche under the umbrella of the electronic music and not else has quite rivaled that feat until the release of Wildflower – it is as effortless and seamless as it is elaborate and well-curated.

‘Wildflower’ by The Avalanches – Album Review

The genre of looking and bringing old things back around in a new way is what The Avalanches specialize in. What they do requires an incredible attention to detail coupled with a sense of nostalgia that makes it into their sample patchwork. The result is a record with a vintage feel all over. Its 21 tracks follow along a mellow groove, which isn’t always the most elevating, but it’s thoroughly exciting in its originality and unpredictability.

The lead single “Frankie Sinatra,” featuring Danny Brown, is a sing-song old-school rap with jazz elements. Once again The Avalanches prove they make music on their own terms by delivering a careless and catchy track made for summer. Immediately following, “Subways” has a slightly different feel with its disco-ridden delirium of Bee Gees-sampling. It sounds urban, electric and charged despite its low-tempo unfolding – it’s made for driving around town late at night. It almost seamlessly transitions into “Going Home,” which carries the same theme, and then leading into the dreamy “If I was a Folkstar,” assisted by Toro Y Moi. The four-song sequence only feels like preparation for the sunny psychedelic pop in “Colours,” which does not contain any samples and feels distinctly experimental with Jonathan Donahue lending his vocals for the mix.

Not counting the extended mix of “Frankie Sinatra,” “Saturday Night Inside Out” is the true closer on Wildflower. Father John Misty‘s vocals make their way into the background of this easy-going, groovy track that features a spoken-word section by Silver Jews’ David Berman. It is the perfect conclusion to an hour-long musical ride that is exciting enough to whet our appetite over the next sixteen years it might take The Avalanches to release new material.

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