The collaboration between The Pineapple Thief’s Bruce Soord and Katatonia’s Jonas Renkse invoked both excitement and curiosity amongst the progressive rock world. Yet, given prog’s nature to encompass a plethora of diverse music’s and backgrounds, it came as no surprise.
Their first outing, a self-titled release, contains a cacophony of sounds and influences. From their own bands, to alternative rockers Radiohead and synth-pop maestros Depeche Mode, Wisdom Of Crowds have succeeded in melding together complex sounds, but with beautifully simple execution. For example, ‘Radio Star’ has 90’s Depeche Mode running through it, with tracks like ‘Pleasure’ and ‘Flows Through You’ exhibiting similar styles. This may come as a surprise to those familiar with Soord’s and Renkse’s primary bands, but it adds an interesting dynamic song that could sound too Katatonia-like. As the album progresses, it seems to get bogged down by its own weight, and tracks like ‘Centre Of Gravity’ would feel repetitive if it weren’t for Soord’s soaring vocals.
Wisdom Of Crowds is not a bad record by any means, but it is in its embryonic stages and grows on your slowly when you realize the potential further released may bring.
6/10
Sarah Worsley