Uncorked Understandings

"I don’t know Tim Wilson. But after listening to A Wonderful’s “Uncorked Understandings,” I kind of feel like I could. Sure, it feels like a personal record. His voice has a kind of gentleness, and though it is thin at times, it is thin in a kind of pleading, desperate kind of way. The lyrics are sparse and simple yet seem loaded with personal references, experience, and memory. But the record seems personal in an almost universal sense. Tim talks a lot about hiding, about missing someone, about regret- thoughts and things that I’d like to think anyone could understand and relate to, particularly boys having been under the weight of heartbreak at one time or another.*

My favorite track is “Under Cover(s).” The drums are minimal yet mesh with electric guitar and a synth drone to tap out the kind of syncopated beat that makes me want to sway around alone in my bedroom. At one point, Tim seems to croon “… and this year, I chose to give myself to others. Just not you, and you’re damn tired…”, reinforcing a sense of isolation and a kind of lament. “Under Cover(s)” is really a beautiful song, and I’ve probably listened to it over twenty times now. It’s honest, minimalistic, and has a (dare I say) funky accented beat that sets it apart from 99% of lo-fi pop music in a good way.

I remember in the documentary “Wise Old Little Boy” (2004), Phil Elverum of the Microphones / Mt. Eerie said something about how he felt it was important to make music that was obviously “made by a human.” I’d say that A Wonderful accurately captures this human-made aesthetic, both on an emotional and musical level. Even the drums and percussion are cleverly layered and exude a very human feeling.

With repeated phrases and consistent instrumentation, “Uncorked Understandings” is a minimalist song cycle that begs for multiple listens. It is cohesive and lush with lo-fi pop sensibility. It can be downloaded here.

*I don’t mean high school boys in a negative sense, but more in reference to young love and gray days when you just want to lay on your bed and listen to Elliott Smith."