Following a promising 2011 EP, the Los Angeles indie-folk quintet The Lonely Wild has dropped a dazzling debut album. The Sun As It Comes reveals a band of seasoned musicians and tunesmiths, and together they make the rootsy influences of the past resonate with relevance. In the opening title track, the band layers Ennio Morricone–inspired spaghetti western guitar leads over acoustic arpeggios; then multiple harmonies come in like the children of Beachwood Sparks and My Morning Jacket. When the song crescendos into a sonic typhoon toward the end, we get a real glimpse of the band’s power and innovation. Even some of those worldly vocals inspired by Animal Collective in the following “Banks and Ballrooms” get overshadowed by more original-sounding melodies. That song also includes beautifully ambient guitars in the background, sounding heavily influenced by '90s shoegazing; then the angsty chorus erupts with an almost punk attack. The outstanding track “Buried in the Murder” is buried at the end of the album, rewarding listeners with a timeless gunfighter ballad that would make RZA proud.
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