A rarity in the music industry, Wild Nothing is truly a one-man band. Jack Tatum is a multi-instrumentalist who formed his indie project in 2009. Tatum has had experience with other bands, he was a member of Jack and the Whale, and FACEPAINT. Wild Nothing’s first taste of music fame came from its demos, one of which was a cover of Kate Bush’s song “Cloudbusting”. The demos’ success would get Tatum signed to Captured Records after their release.
In 2009, Wild Nothing released its first official single, “Summer Holiday”, which would be featured on Tatum’s first record Gemini, released in the spring of 2010. The album was considered one of that year’s best records. Two years later Wild Nothing released its second album Nocturne. In 2014 Tatum announced he began production on this third record, that same year the project was featured in a music documentary called Beautiful Noise. Since 2014, Wild Nothing has released three more records. Its discography consists of five albums, over twenty singles, and four EP’s.
Although Wild Nothing is still considered to be a one-man band, other musicians join Tatum on tour. However every instrumental and vocal on all of Tatum’s records are done by him.
Gemini ( 2010 ):
Gemini, Tatum’s first album is the one I have chosen to feature, because of the track’s outstanding instrumentation, beautiful verses, and the overall vibe of the record. The record contains twelve tracks, spanning a total of around forty-two minutes. Gemini is considered by the magazine Pitchfork to be one of the best of 2010 and believed to be one of the greatest dream pop albums of all time. The way Tatum combines traditional electronic sounds with the feeling of indie, with a hint of folk gives the album a unique feel that sets it apart from other indie records. Gemini feels like the summer of a coming-of-age film, the soft guitar chords and deep vocals are one of the spotlights of this album. The cover of the record is beautiful, featuring two faces intertwined together in a greyscale, the person on the cover looks almost like an ethereal god representing this album well. This album is filled with sounds that will bring you back to your younger years, or connect you deeper to your current age. Gemini feels like a treasure box of youth to open and unravel as you listen.
Summer Holiday:
Speaking of summer, “Summer Holiday” makes you feel like you have been transported straight into the summer heat, riding a bike about your neighborhood while the sun sets and the streetlights start coming on. “Summer Holiday” is the second track on the record. It soothes the listener into the record with its soft instrumentals and lyrics. The lyrics of “Summer Holiday” remain to be one of my favorites on the album, the lyrics reference memories that Tatum has of his teenage years, which adds to the nostalgic element of the song.
Chinatown:
One of the best songs of this album, “Chinatown” is also one of the most popular. The track was featured in a popular movie, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, adding to Tatum’s mission of bringing back memories of those teenage years through the feeling of nostalgia. The soft trumpet-like sounds that accompany the lyrics and lead you into the track combined with the heavy electric bass create a heavy combo that will haunt your ears for weeks after your first listen. The lyrical repetition in the song is one of my favorites, with almost every single verse starting with a word that begins with the letter “I”. The song references running away, something that everyone can relate to in some way or another, whether it’s running away from their problems, work, or something else. “Chinatown” will hit you emotionally in places you didn’t know you could be touched.
Our Composition Book:
The second to last track of Gemini, “Our Composition Book” is led with soft instrumentals. The vocals pick up in this song, much faster paced than the rest of the album. The lyrics have vivid descriptions of Tatum’s memories. The style of Tatum’s sound and lyrics of this song follow that of other indie musicians such as Dr. Dog, Beach Fossils, and Current Joys. Although it’s not the ending song, “Our Composition Book” leads the listener to the end of the track perfectly, warming them up for the final track.
Wild Nothing is an impressive feat of what one person can do in the music industry. Although Tatum has had an amazing career so far, headline dream pop, his legacy left on the genre is an interesting one and hopefully, we can see more from him in the future.
