Wonderue

Album Review

Wonderue is the final installment in Kyle Field's "Wonder" trilogy. The musician/songwriter concocted this epic indie/folk/country monument with a loose band of fellow Northwest musicians as a tribute, in part, to the work of L.A. artist Victor Hu. Similar in tone and texture to the two previous offerings, this finale uses ghostly, minimal alt-country/folk to create pastoral dreamscapes dripping with heartache and a kind of existential reverence. Despite the muted instruments and Field's tentative warble, Wonderue avoids sounding mournful and stark, as a sense of hope and redemption are woven into tracks like "Faith Children." A few of these numbers are even a little catchy, in a minimal sort of way. It's hard not to be impressed with the commitment and scope of Field's work, especially on Wonderue and each of the three entries in the "Wonder" series.