The Features - Wilderness

The Features, slightly generic name aside, are one of those bands who just haven’t quite gotten out there yet, despite both talent and, more recently, a big name (step forward Kings Of Leon) backing them. So with last year’s ‘Wilderness’ getting a bigger push with its re-release, is now maybe the time for people to sit up and pay attention?

Well… probably not. Southern rock with dabs of synth sounds like it should be bang on trend, in theory, but there just isn’t anything exciting here. This is less like the wilderness, and more like an overgrown garden.

Opener ‘Content’ leaves you anything but, with the fast-paced rhythms feeling forced against Pelham’s toned down vocals. The band work best when embracing their up-tempo southern rock, as seen in ‘Big Mama Gonna Whip Us Good’, which has the kind of muffled vocals that made early Kings Of Leon so great. The grinding ‘How It Starts’ is similarly good, and with its ‘uh-huhs’ and handclaps would probably make for a solid live track.

The off-kilter ‘Rambo’, with its at times almost military beat, is ok; much like a lot of the songs on ‘Wilderness’, it’s not necessarily a bad track, but it’s something you need to be in the mood to listen to if you want to enjoy it, and that mood might be a rare one indeed.

The slightly lighter ‘Offer Up’ feels at odds with itself, Pelham’s harsh vocals jarring with the synth, but ‘Golden Comb’ brings back a level of energy without being too busy. None of the songs blend into others or feel too similar - they just don’t sound like something you’d want to listen to very often. In all likelihood, this won’t be the record that helps The Features make it big, but maybe that’s okay.