“Anyone hoping for another ‘Animal Nitrate’ or ‘Beautiful Ones’ is going to be as disappointed as I would be if I had written one.” Brave words from Anderson himself, and indeed there is no evidence of Suede-ish Britpop on Wilderness; no diesel, gasoline or the Underground to attract the attentions of the cliché police.
Anderson’s previous solo offering suffered from overuse of computery MIDI instrumentation – in truth, it could have done with a stint in a fancy studio with the guiding hand of a overseer. Wilderness is a massive step up from what sounded like a passable home demo though. We get nine mournful romantic ballads cast from a rigid mould: the voice carries the song over piano, guitar or cello accompaniment. It never changes, but by and large it works.
The strongest songwriting is to be found on ‘Back To You’, benefiting from some sultry female guest vocals – a contemplative piano-based ‘Asphalt World’ for fortysomethings. If that sounds off-putting, it shouldn’t be: it suits him, and it’s what he should have been doing for years – even as far back as A New Morning.
The gorgeous ‘Clowns’ is another striking highlight, showcasing some beautiful vocal leaps above a basic folkish fingerpicked acoustic. The only complaint? Perhaps the songs are too similar, each sounding broadly like the next and differing only in detail. Never mind that though: Wilderness is nothing if not respectable, and it could so easily have gone the other way.
Key track: ‘Back To You’