Benjamin Kinzer wrote much of the material for Newark Wilder’s debut LP, Vanessa Atalanta, when he was just 15 and 16 years old, but there is a patience and maturity to his songwriting that extends well beyond his years. Listen to the group’s latest single, “Stephen Loves My Eyes,” and you’ll hear shades of Can, Interpol, and other arty post-punk purveyors blended with a rambunctious energy that lends the song an adventurous, almost playful, charm.
From an aesthetic standpoint, the track is more driving and infectious than it is dark and seductive. Although you can hear the aforementioned influences wound into the core of Kinzer’s writing, he doesn’t seem interested in pursuing those bands’ aggressive abstractions and willful oddness. His approach is more economical, bursting with hooks and transitions that are quick and decisive. The grooves are sleek, sometimes gleaming with a pop sheen, but they maintain a visceral intensity that harnesses the kind of youthful abandon you’d expect from a now 17-year-old preparing to release his first record. As an opening statement it’s both polished and propulsive, a laudatory effort from a young artist with surely much more ahead of him. Listen below.
Vanessa Atalanta is out March 4, 2016 via the Cottage Recording Co.
More Info
Bandcamp: newarkwilder.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @newarkwildermusic
Instagram: @newark_wilder