This Wild Willing
by Glen Hansard
  • Record Label: Anti-
  • Release Date: Apr 12, 2019
User Score
7.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 7 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 7
  3. Negative: 1 out of 7
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  1. Ricko
    Aug 13, 2019
    8
    I'm a massive fan of Glen Hansard's work since the mid 90's. I've seen him play live in different guises close to 50 times. I feel this qualifies me in saying that "This Wild Willing" is his most interesting and ambitious, if not necessarily his strongest, work since 2001's Frames masterpiece "For The Birds". To focus first on the positives, unlike his pretty safe solo material up to now,I'm a massive fan of Glen Hansard's work since the mid 90's. I've seen him play live in different guises close to 50 times. I feel this qualifies me in saying that "This Wild Willing" is his most interesting and ambitious, if not necessarily his strongest, work since 2001's Frames masterpiece "For The Birds". To focus first on the positives, unlike his pretty safe solo material up to now, the songs on this album feel rich in scope and texture. You can get lost in this album. There is an actual atmosphere to this record. From what I hae heard and read, it was a highly collaborative effort with other musicians and the approach pays dividends. Vocally, Hansard is ominously whispering for most of the album, pulling the listener closer and forcing them to concentrate on what they are hearing. For most of his career Hansard has dealt in excellently crafted but straightforward songs that followed a formula. There were exceptions but not many. On "This Wild Willing" many of the songs head off the paths and grow into pieces of music. On the flip side, at 65 minutes long it could definitely have been trimmed a bit and can veer into self indulgence. Some of the songs are the best he's written in years but with 12 of them on here, he's asking too much of the raw material at times, despite the effort put in. Everyone involved has done a great job in putting this together and I can say for sure its the Glen Hansard record I've listened to most since 2004's "Burn the Maps".… Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. Q Magazine
    May 14, 2019
    80
    A true leap forward for an artist maybe only just coming into his own after 25 years. [Jul 2019, p.110]
  2. Uncut
    Apr 25, 2019
    60
    Hansard's whispery growl is something of an acquired taste, and the first half of this LP sees him aiming towards Nick Cave-style slow burning epics. ... More successful is the second half of the album. [Jun 2019, p.29]
  3. Mojo
    Apr 23, 2019
    80
    An immersive, deeply satisfying work that doubles down on the experimentalism he brought to The Frames. [May 2019, p.93]
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