Wild Wild Mexico, a Seattle-based ensemble founded in early 2016, just released its debut full-length, Wild Wild Mexico. While it does have a satisfying old Western movie score rhythm to it, the self-titled album may not be as wild as the name suggests. Its initial rhythmic cadence is familiar, reminiscent of sunsets and dusty, open deserts, but the album also brings in elements from other genres, swiftly shifting in and out of their indie-rock sound.
The opening track, “Cool Whip,” is a fact-paced beginning to the album and almost sounds more surf-punk than indie-rock. As the album progresses, the beachy sounds weave in with the sonic aesthetic of an old Hollywood western and husky vocals. Surprisingly, it really works.
“A Million Lives,” track two, introduces vocals that are reminiscent of the very distinctive sound of The Growlers and definitely showcases Wild Wild Mexico’s solid musicianship. The song’s climax is impressive, and when you hear the bold “well I’ve been your star-crossed lover / I’ve been lost in space and time” you can’t help but believe it.
The next song, “Fly Me Out,” is a wonderful segue into the beachier sounds of the album, a much calmer ebb to the lively flow of “A Million Lives.” It’s the kind of song one might put on during a spontaneous late-night drive to the coast with a lover — not bright and upbeat, but mellower: a melody that allows the passenger to drift off comfortably.
That relaxed sound carries through the rest of the album, though it sometimes manifests more buoyantly, as seen on “Cool As Leather” and “Basement.” However, “90s” is probably the most surf-rock track on the album, a very playful and nostalgic song easy to absentmindedly sway along to. This absent-mindedness makes the album ideal to put on while multitasking because it doesn’t demand much from the listener — all the songs seamlessly flow one into the other.
“Hotline” is arguably the danciest track of the album, with the catchy drone of “come on, call me, baby, on the telephone” over the rhythmic bass. Lyrically, it matches the light-heartedness of the melody, with the crooning chorus of “a click click, and a dial / tone” reliably repeating throughout the track.
The beat that ends the song transitions quite neatly into the slower “Whatever It Takes,” which adopts a darker melody, sounding like something that would play in a dimly lit bar hidden away in a popular part of town that no one really knows about until they accidentally stumble across it. It feels like the kind of song you wouldn’t initially notice until the lyric “and then she said / what goes away can be brought back from the grave” catches your attention, and you find yourself staying for the song, even though you were just about to leave that seedy bar.
With Wild Wild Mexico, Wild Wild Mexico manages to put a cowboy at a beach and a surfer in the desert. It is readily apparent that the group comes from a wide range of influences and also that it is very capable of integrating elements from many different genres into its own unique sound.
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