WREN HINDS
Don’t Die In The Bundu (Bella Union)
Wren Hinds is seemingly soul-searching on Don’t Die In The Bundu. The title of the album itself embodies a story: it was recorded at a timber cabin in the mountainside 40km outside of Cape Town. Last year, Hinds and a friend were held at gunpoint while in Cape Town – an incident which settled the title, and possibly offered a new outlook for the artist. Having also entered the world of parenting, Hinds has adopted a more optimistic perspective around the future that allows him to “look at the beauty in humanity and the mysterious nature of the place we call home.”
Don’t Die… is Hinds’ personal contribution towards understanding what it means to live in hope. The first half of the album gently acquaints listeners with Hinds’ sound, a stunning combination of naturalistic lyricism, wispy vocals, and softly strummed guitar melodies. A Song opens the album brightly; Wild Eyes takes on a deeper melodic quality, while Father feels like a campfire confession. The album sees more adventurous instrumentation in the second half, as slivers of harmonica appear in the hazy Dream State and a pensive string arrangement becomes the star of The Garden.
Hinds watched his mother paint landscapes as a child, comparing instrumental textures to this artform, and here the integration of the two mediums is evident. Delicate instrumentation and emotive lyrics evoke vivid imagery of the natural world while inviting listeners to contemplate their emotional realm.
words KAYLA SANDIFORD
