(Jagjaguwar)

www.jagjaguwar.com

 Baltimore's Wilderness quietly staked their claim as one of the most interesting new art-rock bands around with their 2005 self-titled debut. Singer James Johnson's hypnotically brusque chant-sing vocals propelled the reverb-laden guitars and tribal drums and bass, a thin yet powerful skeleton that continues to make up the structure of their entire catalogue. Their second release was a disappointment, not exactly a "sophomore slump," but not far from the cliché either. Their new effort, however, annoyingly punctuated as the title may be, is a glorious return to form and an expansion upon the band's original driving creativity.

(K)no(where) is really more of a single 40-minute song than an album divided up into tracks. Its eight separations can be considered more as movements than individual songs with unique ideas. The effect is powerful and emotional, ranging from dour lows in tone and sound to exuberant passages of epic song craft. Beginning with the ambient feedback of "High Nero," the band often lets the music set up the story before Johnson's mournful howl takes over. "Strand the Test of Time" kicks off with a simple bassline over pounding, panned drums as he chants, "Here comes the new law merchant" over and over again. There always seems to be a political or social discourse hidden deep within Johnson's lyrics, but it's often obscured just enough to remain interestingly questionable. Colin McCann's excellent guitar-playing spirals around the songs, rarely stopping to provide backing chords. Instead, he allows his patterns to repeat enough to create the same anchoring effect. The result is songs that are much more interesting, as the 8-minute long "Chinese Whisperers" proves with its twittering guitar licks.

There is something raw and basic about Wilderness' music. The formula remains the same as far as song construction and guitar tone is concerned. But on their latest, the band has pushed its musical imagination to an astounding new level. Hopefully, this often-overlooked band will get some more attention this year.

 Standout Tracks: "Strand the Test of Time," "Chinese Whisperers" JONAH FLICKER