Such a case is Wilburs, quite peculiar for a band, just about as a platypus would be to a party. The latest album, “Wilburs II”, perfectly captures the depth in which the band or rather, Justin Wayne Moore strongly embraces the beauty of chaos.
The more I listened to the album, the more I was taken through a gamut of different sounds, much like walking into a thrift store and never knowing what surprise one may find. Such is the skilful marriage of indie alt-rock, merged with traces of the peculiarities of Modest Mouse, the innovations of Bjork, and the soulful undercurrents of D’Angelo. It’s like trying to describe a flavor hard to pinpoint, yet undeniably delightful.
Wilburs II” is an ode to self-acceptance, plain and simple; a clear call to dismiss pretension and accept the self. Moore whispers an elegant invitation, through lyrics, to flee the need for validation and simply be with one’s self. It is a message that strikes a chord deep within, like the first gentle breeze of summer. It is not entirely rainbows, however, the right amount of melancholy tucked away, wrapped in fragile clothing of vulnerability, making this record feel very human.
As I listened, I couldn’t help drawing parallels with the Impressionist movement whereby artists rejected the traditional and normal in an effort to capture those elusive life moments. It’s Impressionism on sound a snapshot of emotions, thoughts, and feelings frozen in time. Moore’s solo project, recorded in appropriately named “Amish House”, shows what solitude and the gift of license can bear.
After all, “Wilburs II” reminds us that the most exquisite things in life are things one cannot control. Let’s raise a glass to the unconventional, the marginalized, and the beautifully flawed because it is in those imperfections that the true beauty of humanity exists.
