Since the release of the pastoral 2014 debut Blind and Brave, LA’s The Wild Reeds have expanded beyond the core trio of Kinsey Lee, Mackenzie Howe, and Sharon Silva into a vibrant five-piece band that blends melodic folk rock and indie pop with rich harmonies. For the band’s third album, Cheers, the core songwriters took a different approach, instead of collaboratively writing all the songs together each songwriter was free to write their own songs and this combined with the addition of two new members resulted in the band’s most diverse album to date. Album highlights include: the brassy opening track “Movin Target”; the lightly psychedelic “Telepathic Mail”; the vintage and dreamy “Lose My Mind”; the retro 60’s girl group vibe on “Play It Safe”; the folk rocker “Young & Impressionable”; the upbeat pop of “P.S. Nevermind”; the gorgeous, bittersweet ballad “Don’t Pretend”; the quirky Harry Nilsson-esque retro pop song “Get Better”; and the beautiful closing title-track. Cheers finds The Wild Reeds growing as musicians while showcasing individual personalities within the band over an eclectic collection of songs, revealing their charm and character over multiple listens. – Written by JFelton
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