Wildernesses‘ Growth is a emotive blend of shoegaze and post-rock that takes us on a journey through grief, resilience, and survival.
Release date: March 27, 2026 | Floodlit Records | Bandcamp | Instagram
Emerging in the midst of the post-pandemic lull, Wildernesses was brought together by former guitarist Jonathan, who rounded up the different members of the band from disparate musical trajectories. The result was this unique tapestry woven from their different influences and life experiences ranging from the grit of East London to the rolling landscapes of West Sussex. Together, they masterfully created a sound that would be better described as an alternative rock band playing shoegaze songs in a post-punk venue for post-rock lovers.
Vocalist Phillip Morris is the heart of the band, whose lyrics are drawn from his professional life as a mental health worker within the NHS. This storytelling approach is what drew me in immediately. These are not vague, abstract metaphors but rather tales of grief in hospital corridors, inherited trauma, and the quiet heroism found in ordinary survival. Much of Growth’s emotional spine is built upon Morris’s own experience caring for his mother through her diagnosis with motor neurone disease. The witnessing of human fragility and endurance is the central pillar of the record.
The music itself occupies a shimmering middle ground between shoegaze’s glow, post-rock’s slow-burning cinematics, and the rhythmic urgency of alternative rock. Wildernesses define themselves as ‘emotive heavy, not heavy heavy‘, privileging raw feeling over simple distortion. We can hear the soaring ambience of Explosions in the Sky, the brooding, baritone restraint of The National, and the dreamlike, swirling haze of Slowdive.
Throughout the nine tracks, the band takes simplicity to a whole new level. It kicks off with “Sleepless”, a full-on instrumental post-rock track that sets a wide-screen, cinematic tone. “Four Hour Drive”, with its high pace, serves as a meditative reflection on a 1957 photograph of Morris’s father. “English Darkness”, a standout highlight and a perfect example of narrative songwriting, traces the fragile, jagged edges of mental health with haunting precision. Other standouts, such as the intense “Maintenance” or the unearthed history of “Summertime, 1917” showcase the rhythms of life and the enduring positivity of the human spirit even in the face of decay. The production allows these songs to breathe so you can hear the space between the notes. Each crescendo feel earned rather than forced.
Growth is a record that feels both expansive and intimately detailed. It will appeal to those who enjoy intense, rich atmospheric textures and lyrics that require and reward deep listening. In these times of relentless, nonstop information and digital noise, Wildernesses want to show us it is okay to slow down, close our eyes, and reflect. This is music for the quiet hours, designed to help us paint images in our heads and process it in our own individual way. So let’s put this record on and do exactly that.
