JR Wicker is an Memphis-born, Atlanta, USA-based musician who is new to these pages, having just hit our radar through the release of his debut solo album Weird Magic.
By Graeme Smith
Owing much of his inspiration to the Southern US geography and language in which he grew up, as well as a potentially unhealthy dose of Animal Collective’s Merriweather Post Pavilion, JR Wicker has a point of view that’s quite unique. His foray into music started in high school, playing bass for a band called Her Way, and a string of stints in other bands have given him the musical foundation to set him up for his solo career.
As well as the aforementioned Animal Collective, JR draws influence from the likes of The Kinks, Wilco, Neutral Milk Hotel, and the unparalleled lyricism of Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan. Song writing and lyrics are of deep importance to him, and that is clearly evident in his debut.
Burnt opens things with some vibrant, ever-growing electronic layers that quickly explode into an emotional groove. JR has described his music as a way of processing difficult moments in his life and you can feel the catharsis in the wistful nostalgia of this opener.
From this opening gambit, we are taken on a sonic journey over eight tracks. There is plenty of experimentation (for instance Telepathy features clarinet, but you wouldn’t know it through the way it’s played), and what keeps it all together is the relatable emotion of it all.
The electronica of Burnt and Curse sits as a bosom buddy to jangly indie rock moments like Darkness and Oh How It Shined. Window is an album centrepiece, bringing with it folk and classical elements. A stripped-back and vulnerable intro slowly gives way to driving, desperate second half. World in Me rounds things off with a track that combines a bright instrumental with introspective lyrics. It’s a final highlight.
Weird Magic is an album in which to get lost. You can feel how much JR Wicker has put into it, and he makes effective use of some very influential sources. You can check it out below.
