The latest album from Juno-nominated group Wake Owl, The Private World Of Paradise, is a dreamier take on average indie music. Smoother and more soft spoken, the album is defined by its hypnotic and serene mood, created by faded instrumentals and light vocals that the indie genre seems to be so fond of. Rhythmic acoustic guitar chords and constant yet hushed percussion add to the overall relaxing atmosphere.
“Candy” opens with steady rhythmic guitar chords alongside faded, high-pitched vocals. The song breaks into a more complex melody as it continues, with the percussion sections filling the bass ranges. The main melody keeps switching between different styles, which all combine into a rich, full sound at the end of the song. Later in the album “Madness Of Others” starts off slowly with a simple bass drum beat and a few guitar chords but grows from there to include deeper vocals and some long violin notes giving the whole song a ghostly and haunted atmosphere. “Desert Flowers” closes out the album with hypnotic descending synth chords and wind chime-like sounds in the background. The vocals in the song are partially drowned out by reverb, creating a fluid feeling to the music, which the lack of rhythm or melody add to.
Wake Owl’s music can be a little strange at times. The Private World Of Paradise starts simply but gradually becomes more complex, opening with generic indie songs and slowly expanding the music to include more unique aspects such as violin and synth sections.