On their new release Hey There, Slow Down, Help Me”, Wild Giants are able to come forth and establish themselves as masters of all. There are so many twists and turns that fans will encounter on this extended play that multiple listens are not a suggestion, they are a necessity. The extended play begins with Souvenir, a fuzzy, dynamic rock track that is as much Franz Ferdinand as it is The Appleseed Cast. There is a bit of the vocal theatrics of The Strokes and early Panic! At The Disco that can be picked up here. Hometown has a fun mash-up of 1990s-rock acts like Sponge and Stone Temple Pilots with the alt-rock of Weezer and Ok Go. The instrumentation and vocals fight for dominance here, ensuring that the resulting track is one of the hookiest and alluring that one will have heard so far this year.
Running brings a bit more of a hard rock crunch into the mix, with Wild Giants running up against Our Lady Peace and Deliverance-era Corrosion of Conformity with anguished vocals and an assertive guitar/drum dynamic. If God Only Knew has a bit more of a focus on the vocals, allowing the Wild Giants ample opportunity to take of the standard of the New Radicals and Fastball. Sleep is for the Weak has a bit of Smash Mouth meets Sugar Ray funkiness with just the lightest draping of singer-songwriter, barefoot beach music. Why Aren’t We Freaking Out? is a head-bopper with ample fuzz to wash over fans. Gradually increasing in ferocity, there’s no denying that the track will be keeping listeners firmly planted on the edge of their seats.
Hey There, Slow Down, Help Me ends with Smile, an effort that does well in winding down the EP while keeping the embers stoked in fans’ hearts.
Top Tracks:
Rating: 8.3/10
Wild Giants – “Hey There, Slow Down, Help Me” / 2022 Self Released / 7 Tracks / Domain /
