Jasper Wilderness are powerful, anthemic, and radiant. The Tulsa based alternative rock group harken back to the heyday of alternative rock with their 00s inspired energy, arrangement, and vocals. But they’re far from a copycat group. With a band that harbours eclectic and diverse cultural backgrounds amongst the six members, there’s a spark and innovation to the group that hails from this combination. Their debut is a fiery announcement that shows a band that’s hungry and determined, evoking a youthful exuberance and defiance from the get go. On the roaring ‘Alibi’, the group bring out the enthusiasm and anger of innocence being lost under the warped requirements of adulthood. But at its core, ‘Coming Home to Silence’ is an album that screams enthusiasm and positivity. It encourages you to look at the light at the end of the tunnel and to discard the negativity that is so often hurled onto us by societal pressures and occupations.
That same roaring and unfiltered expression is a signing post of the band, echoed in each of the five full length pieces on this record. There’s shade of Alter Bridge and their ilk written across Jasper Wilderness, and I mean that in the best way possible. The vocals are matured, gritty almost at times. The instrumental arrangements never once try to play second fiddle either, consistently delivering soundscapes that are gloriously epic, making you feel on top of the world when they crescendo at the chorus. A highlight of this comes on ‘The Poet Boy’, which starts more subtle but builds to such a crashing and emotive chorus that has you craving more and more from this group.
I can’t wait to see what else Jasper Wilderness has in store for us. They’re just bundling with energy and precise in their execution. In just five tracks, they’ve made me a fan through an exquisitely arranged and powerfully produced alternative rock album that’s as glorious as it is evocative.