Wunderhorse - ‘Silver’ Review: A raw, unfiltered glimpse into what’s deemed their ‘real debut’
Reflecting on the dark sides of yourself, Wunderhorse dives deeper into the rabbit hole with Silver.
★★★★★★★★★☆
Credit: Wunderhorse 📸
Midas looms closer. Now just a month away. Wunderhorse’s hyped sophomore album is shaping up to supersede an already perfect debut, with enormous singles Midas and July. Both were long-anticipated after lucky concertgoers heard them road-tested almost a year ahead of release.
We previously described Midas as ‘perhaps their most focused to date’ and July being ‘arguably the biggest track the four-piece has put out to date’.
Their third and latest offering is Silver. Released on 9th July 2024, the single is a more optimistic take on chaos. While previous tracks focused on crying out and fighting back, here Slater feels at ease. It takes the style of a lullaby (‘hush now baby, don’t you cry’), albeit rock n’ roll themed. He’s reflecting on past mistakes and horrors, but acknowledging how he’s charged onwards.
Speaking about the single, frontman Jacob explains: “The song is about that ugly side of yourself that you try to keep a secret, but you know it’s there because it makes your skin crawl sometimes. It gets you places but fucks you up in the process. Everyone has elements of their makeup that they’d rather not admit to or keep locked away and never look at. That’s what ‘Silver’ is about. Kind of.”
While we can only speculate how Silver fits into the wider album narrative, it noticeably sits before July. That’s the moment when Slater and Co. reserve themselves to succumbing to death, so the fact this sits beforehand partly explains the mild optimism. One thing’s for sure, the rowdy Nirvana influence is more obvious than ever. There’s a real Smells Like Teen Spirit energy coming from the lead guitar, which isn’t surprising given the band’s admiration for classic rock bands.
Slater continues: “When we first went into the studio to make this record, the only thing we were sure about was how we wanted it to sound; very imperfect, very live, very raw; no frills. We wanted it to sound like your face is pressed up against the amplifiers like you've been locked inside the bass drum.”
Wunderhorse was formed by Jacob Slater (frontman) as a solo project during the pandemic, after disbanding his previous band Dead Pretties. He was later joined by Jamie Staples (drummer), Harry Fowler (guitarist) and Pete Woodin (bassist).
Their debut album, Cub, was an adapted solo record. Centrally based on Slater’s personal experiences, it garnered praise from both fans and critics everywhere. They quickly made a name for themselves on the live scene with their breathtaking shows, being a live band first and foremost.
Wunderhorse’s upcoming follow-up sees the band working and recording as a cohesive unit and has been viewed by the band as their ‘real debut’.
Chatting to the BBC, Slater explains:
“We like our first record but we didn’t think it was representative of how we feel or sound as a band. It’s a bit too polished. We kind-of learnt our lessons there and we don’t wanna do that again. If you prefer us live, you’ll love this”
Midas is set to release on August 30th. Until then, Wunderhorse are announcing intimate shows every week via their Instagram stories. These shows are in conjunction with local record stores, and so far include visits to Exeter, Leicester and Brighton.
Elsewhere, you can Pre-order the album or scoop up final tour tickets now.
You can also hear lots of un-released tracks from Midas from their full album playthrough at Moth Club via our TikTok.
