By Jim Barber
An train in vital self-examination coupled with a eager observer’s exposition of the human situation at road stage, gifted Toronto-based singer/songwriter/instrumentalist Vivienne Wilder’s new album Horrible Human is a musical panoply that seamlessly shifts moods, factors of view and setting for a memorable and evocative aural expertise.
There may be elegant literacy to the songcraft, each musically and lyrically, however Wilder’s proficiency with these two languages is belied by the scrappy, frenetic, straight-off-the-floor depth and intentionally low-fi ethos that permeates the manufacturing on Horrible Human. The discerning listener will undoubtedly be impressed by the pleasant precision within the taking part in, the advanced vocal characterizations, and total compositional efficacy of every of the file’s 11 tracks.
Oh, and so they’re additionally infectious, extremely listenable, and tremendous enjoyable too!
From the bodacious, brash and unavoidably badass opening observe ‘Intercourse Machine,’ working alongside collaborator/producer Ian Docherty (Dwayne Gretzky, July Discuss) Horrible Human takes the listener by means of a solid of characters from Wilder’s personal life, from these round her, from fiction, and someplace in between. Every track is a narrative unto itself however at all times immersed in believability and actuality.
“I’m continually writing and I used to be beginning to really feel like I used to be overdue to lastly file some stuff, after which as soon as I made a decision, I hung out curating my selections of which songs match collectively in some type of presumably coherent vogue,” mentioned Wilder, a local of Saskatchewan who’s a extremely schooled and extremely expert musician, with stints in symphonies, jazz ensembles, punk bands, and a variety of esoteric recording initiatives over the previous 15 years as a prolific, well-respected and far in demand member of the Toronto music scene.
“I’ve a sure voice in my writing in order that even when these songs had been written a few years aside, there can nonetheless be a by means of line connecting them as a result of it’s simply the best way my mind works. With this new file, for instance, I had possibly 20 prospects that I delivered to Ian, who produced and engineered and blended the file, and we simply went with our intestine as to which of them we’d work on. Like, ‘this one feels proper to do at present.’ And the method was type of ruled by that. I simply determined to belief that, by following our emotions, it might work out.”
That ‘sure voice’ may be described in some ways. In her personal phrases, Wilder refers back to the present fashion of her music, notably on Horrible Human, as ‘Bubble Grunge.’
“I feel it’s humorous, nevertheless it’s an actual time period too. At the very least for this file it’s a great way of describing the arduous, edgier sounds sonically to it, but additionally that there’s an accessibility the place the melodic items and vocal hooks and stuff like that brings the ‘bubblegum’ facet into it. And that’s type of just like the Nineties. I feel Smashing Pumpkins was like that and Courtney Love along with her extra glossier stuff. However on prime of that the issues that they’re singing about are actually typically darkish and horrifying,” she mentioned.
A replay of her discography, from her 2012 self-titled, folk-centered debut EP, by means of the rock stylings of 2017’s Waking Up the Dinosaurs, the 2020 EP postromantic, by means of to 2022’s exceptionally uncooked and revelatory I Don’t Imagine, bears witness to a real evolution of Wilder’s track creation prowess and the human/artist behind it. Horrible Human sees her exhibiting an effusive honesty and authenticity as she inhabits the ‘characters’ behind every track – particularly when that character is in complete, or partly, herself.
Vocally, once more, an evolution has taken place as expertise and confidence has reworked Wilder right into a extra dynamic singer who possesses a ragged magnificence in tone, and theatricality of supply that’s, at instances, fairly movie noir in nature.
“I don’t even sound like the identical individual to myself in any respect. I used to be fairly late within the recreation as a songwriter and as a singer [she had been playing in bands as a popular bassist/background vocalist for hire for a number of years]. In order that 2012 EP was my first time singing result in something. I do know I’ve come a good distance since then, simply bodily having the ability to sing louder and venture my voice in numerous methods and attending to know my very own voice and accepting its flaws but additionally typically taking part in up these flaws, which is basically enjoyable, truly,” Wilder defined.
“It’s additionally partially getting lots of assist from Ian too. He can be sitting there once we’re doing vocal takes and he’ll say, ‘I actually preferred the route you went with this one. Let’s maintain attempting that.’ I feel the suggestions backwards and forwards with one other individual that you just belief is basically useful. There’s lots of playfulness in the best way I’m doing the voices and likewise in the best way Ian’s taking part in with how he recorded them too.”
Musically, it’s arduous to flee the aforementioned intentionally unaffected vibe and unwavering uniqueness to every track. It’s a reminder of Wilder’s diverse musical pedigree, but additionally her penchant for the free-form nature of punk rock – one faculty of punk specifically. The masterfulness of the taking part in, the cleverness and misleading complexity of the lyrical storytelling, enveloped within the rawness of the efficiency makes one suppose extra of the East Village NYC, CBGB’s, Blondie, Speaking Heads, Andy Warhol, Velvet Underground sound versus the uncooked, simplistic chaos of The Intercourse Pistols or The Damned. The poetic musings of the likes of Lou Reed and Patti Smith had been as boldly literate because the music was anarchic at instances, however the observations of life, love, lust had been as compelling as they had been nihilistic. On this sense, Wilder’s work is far more Debbie Harry than it’s Johnny Rotten.
“I do love all of these Seventies New York bands so much. After I first began listening to these bands it was a really formative interval in my life, type of late highschool. And I don’t even understand how or why I found it, they will need to have been reissued on CD or one thing,” she mentioned, including that phrases have at all times been vital to her compositions.
“I undoubtedly spent lots of time, presumably an excessive amount of time, twiddling with lyrics. And I’ve at all times loved that a part of somebody like Patti Smith. I’m not even the hugest fan of her music, however her ethos and the best way she talks about creativity and studying her poetry and understanding the entire story of her adventures within the early days of that scene – I like that stuff.”
Artists of all kinds, and particularly songwriters, are recognized to make use of the inventive course of to unburden themselves from the ache of some historical wound, latest heartbreak, redress a incorrect, or mirror on the results of a youthful (or not so youthful) indiscretion. It’s an opportunity to ‘get actual’ with themselves or put out on the earth as a cautionary story to those that hear the songs and take them to coronary heart.
And lots of this self-evaluation and occasional recrimination is occurring with Wilder on this new album. Horrible Human relates again to a lot of what’s been talked about above however measured alongside a sliding scale of closeness to the autobiographical fact. Maybe in her worst moments, after a extremely unhealthy day, Wilder might even see herself as a ‘horrible individual,’ however the songs on the album speak extra in regards to the characters that populate them – a few of that are, sure, primarily based on her personal faults and foibles, some on these of individuals she is aware of, some utterly invented, or an amalgam thereof.
There’s a particular ‘fly on the wall’ really feel to a number of the compositions, as if we’re listening to personal ideas, witnessing personal deeds and experiencing the uncomfortableness that arises once we see somebody in ache, in unhappiness, or mired in remorse – or simply hungover and ruing a few misplaced selections from the night earlier than.
“After I appeared again on the songs that ended up being chosen for the file, I spotted that lots of them had been coming from a type of self-effacing place – the place I’m being extremely vital of myself. Or had been instances after I was exploring remorse or issues that I believed had been errors and even simply arduous, arduous moments in life. So, I assume that’s what connects all of them. And curiously a number of the songs are in all probability written, not less than partly, possibly 10 years in the past or extra at this level. However they by no means discovered a house on one other file,” she mentioned.
“I feel as soon as I heard all of them collectively and actually checked out it, it’s like ‘okay, effectively it’s not precisely what I’d describe as an total optimistic feeling so far as the lyrics and tone go,’ however I feel it’s in the end optimistic in that the songs are exploring these concepts and attempting to make sense of them in nearly a therapeutic, self-awareness method.”
Wilder does see the worth in utilizing her creativity – which is seemingly irrepressible, but centered, schooled and dynamic – as a method of processing the world, the day-to-day challenges and joys of life, in an effort to launch a number of the psychological and emotional shackles from her soul.
“I feel it was possibly Amanda Palmer who introduced up the notion that each artist is on this spectrum of 1 to 10, the place one isn’t any filter [on what they are saying through their art] and it is extremely confessional, the place I’m actually going to sing about one thing that occurred to me and that is the actual story, versus somebody on the opposite finish of the spectrum the place it’s a extremely filtered, extremely processed facet of the artwork, which I see as like excessive fantasy – writing utilizing characters and fictitious settings. Lots of rock and roll lyrics and punk lyrics and the entire grunge factor was folks externalizing all of the issues that you just’re feeling in actual time, and that was releasing for me,” she defined.
“In the end, for a lot of artists, together with me, even when I did have some filters on, the writing comes from a spot of your individual experiences and your individual perceptions about being alive and also you simply can’t assist it. I feel for this album I’m, on common, within the center the place some songs are actually me and a few of them are very a lot me singing in another person’s voice. However even there I feel it’s all nonetheless a part of this therapeutic thought of working by means of stuff. I additionally actually like that completely different folks can hearken to the identical track and get one thing completely completely different out of it.
“And in a method, I’ve discovered that it’s actually helped me. One thing that I now take pleasure in, since I’ve been doing this for some time I’ll discover that I nonetheless write about sure issues versus issues that I’ve moved on from. After I notice I’m writing about one thing many times I’m like, ‘oh man, it’s actually time to let that go.’ It’s having the mirror of this course of out there to me to assist me discover my very own patterns and have the ability to say, ‘come on, you’ve written about that sufficient. Let’s do one thing else now.’ So, it’s type of enjoyable and helpful in that method. And, truthfully, if these songs had been 100 per cent me, I don’t know if I’d even have had the wherewithal to finish a file and get it out into the world.”
In addition to a tremendously gifted musician, performer and songwriter, Wilder additionally makes use of the automobile of visible artwork as one more type of self-expression, preferring the medium of collage. And, to paraphrase the legendary Canadian thinker Marshall McLuhan, there’s a message in that medium (or media!) that matches along with her songwriting philosophy of drawing from a broader palette of life experiences. Not solely do her remarkably vivid and highly effective collages assist soothe her restlessly inventive soul, however are additionally usually utilized in her album artwork.
“It’s type of a Frankenstein’s monster. I’ll draw in numerous references from different folks I do know, or possibly one thing I’m studying or one other track that I like or what’s on the information and piece issues collectively. I like all visible artwork, however I actually love doing collage for some purpose. And I feel I type of use the identical logic lots of the time after I’m writing lyrics – that type of free affiliation factor, the place I’m pulling in concepts which will have come from plenty of completely different locations,” Wilder mentioned.
The partnership with Docherty led to one in all Wilder’s first co-writes on a solo album along with her producer, the track ‘Complete Mess,’ which does yeoman’s work manifesting the general vibe of the album.
“Ian got here up with the instrumental observe for the track and [drummer] Adam Hindle [also of Dwayne Gretzky] helped out by making up these loopy drum beats that additionally knowledgeable what I ended up placing on lyrically and melodically. I occurred to have a lyric that I used to be already type of messing round with however wasn’t utterly happy with, however I preferred the place issues had been going,” she mentioned.
“Then it simply snapped along with what Ian did. So, it was actually validating as a result of I’m actually proud of how that track got here out and it undoubtedly wouldn’t have occurred if it had been simply me, in my typical atmosphere, which is on my own in my room, attempting to do all the things myself.”
‘Incorrect Hero’ is likely one of the strongest tracks on the album, principally due to the exceptionally evocative, stripped-down vocal efficiency from Wilder.
“Incorrect Hero is likely one of the oldest songs. I wrote it for a unique band initially a very long time in the past. On the time it was extra of an electronica type of factor. So, when that band ended the track type of languished, however I at all times beloved it, however on the similar time, I by no means felt good in regards to the lyrics. It at all times felt unfinished. And it additionally by no means slot in with my solo band as a result of we didn’t have any synthesizers and it was principally like rock and punky stuff that we did, and it didn’t even match with the nation and people stuff I do every now and then. There was simply nowhere I felt this track might dwell,” she mentioned.
“As soon as we determined to begin utilizing extra synthesizers within the dwell present, I spotted that now this track was doable, and since I already had a smooth spot for it, I ended up simply sitting down within the studio when Ian was modifying the vocal take or one thing on one other track and simply completed the lyrics randomly actually rapidly. I used to be like, ‘oh, it’s achieved. It solely took 10 years, nevertheless it’s lastly achieved.’ I’m actually happy with that one, and it’s very emotional for me to sing. Though it took such a protracted, ridiculous course of to get it achieved, it’s possibly one of many easiest songs on the file.”
A equally lengthy journey lastly noticed the psychedelia-tinged ‘Rust Lady’ lastly fall into place.
“I actually needed to chisel away at that for some time. It went by means of many alternative variations earlier than this one. It was extra of a punk track the place I used to be taking part in a reasonably quick strumming guitar half and that’s initially how we tried to do it within the studio, nevertheless it became what it’s now, which may be very synth heavy, with plenty of trippy soundscapes. Lyrically, it’s actually simply an exploration of being with somebody who is basically depressed.”
Distinction this with the Intercourse and the Metropolis-like inferences of ‘Take Out,’ which, relying on the mindset (and presumably relationship standing) of the listener, can take one down some fascinating potential narrative pathways.
“That one is me with the filter absolutely at 10, so it’s not me. Everybody asks me why it’s known as ‘Take Out’ and I inform them it’s about somebody bringing takeout meals to their pal’s home, cuz they received shit to speak about. However I’m actually not going to say far more about what it’s truly about as a result of that’ll destroy it. Generally I feel it’s enjoyable to put in writing about one thing actually, actually particular, however change all of the phrases to cover what the story truly is. Primarily, it’s about any person who’s attempting to get somebody again – however I’ll go away it there.”
‘Pure Born Quitter’ is one other one of many least autobiographical ones on Horrible Human (based on the Palmer scale), however is completely apt for the bizarre, wacky, and wasteful world all of us at present share.
“That was one the place I got here up with the overly intelligent title first, primarily based on the [1990s Woody Harrelson/Juliette Lewis cult film] Pure Born Killers. And it was written out of frustration, in all probability from Fb. I attempt to not spend an excessive amount of time on Fb anymore, so there was a time after I was weaning myself off as a result of it simply appeared like nothing good would occur to me if I spent a lot time there. However then I’d break down and be curious and simply scroll and see what persons are writing and seeing the paranoia and the bizarre tone that pervades there. That’s what actually received the track going. After which I introduced it some extra private particulars and a few oddly particular issues to make it extra relatable for me to sing,” Wilder mentioned.
“In order that one’s undoubtedly a couple of character. I’m truly frightened as a result of I’m not positive folks will perceive that it’s a character and never me.”
What folks received’t have to fret about is Vivienne wilder slowing down any time quickly. In addition to lining up gigs and doing press to advertise Horrible Human, she continues to work dates with a bunch of artists from throughout the musical spectrum, together with taking part in conventional upright bass within the Juno-nominated instrumental ensemble Catastrophe Pony, and commonly backing up people artists Abigail Lapell and Jon Brooks, in addition to alt-rocker Joan Smith from Joan Smith and the Jane Does. She can be within the bands Nic and the Narcs with Nichol Robertson, and does lots of freelance company and studio work.
“Lots of it’s fairly random, however when studio stuff comes up, it’s pretty. And I nonetheless get to do the odd classical music gig on the upright bass, which I like,” she mentioned.
For extra data on Vivienne Wilder and Horrible Human, go to https://viviennewilder.com.
- Jim Barber is a veteran award-winning journalist and writer primarily based in Napanee, ON, who has been writing about music and musicians for greater than 30 years. In addition to his journalistic endeavours, he works as a communications and advertising and marketing specialist, and is an avid volunteer in his neighborhood. Contact him at jimbarberwritingservices@gmail.com.
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