Wilhelm – The Creek (2023)
The folk-inspired solo project of singer-songwriter Alex Riggen, Wilhelm lies somewhere between Nick Cave and Smashing Pumpkins with the intimacy of Jeff Buckley and Leonard Cohen. Probably most well known as a member of grunge band Murnau (who happened to receive reviews from us on their singles ‘Baltic Sea’ and ‘Repent’), Riggen diverges from the harder rock to slightly lighter acoustic-inspired sound. This is our introduction to Riggen as a solo artist; however, he is already garnering a following with coverage from RGM, Sinusoidal Music and TJPL News. The latest addition to his well-received discography is ‘The Creek’.
Ending a three-year break in music, ‘The Creek’ is Riggen’s first release of 2023 as Wilhelm. Following the nine-track album Sugarcane in 2020, ‘The Creek’ blends elements of indie-rock with an indie-folk slant. While the combination of dynamic guitars and steady drums is a strong foundation for any song, Riggen brings an obscurity to ‘The Creek’ with the country-inspired lick of a guitar tapping the edges of the melody. Moody with a heady sensation, listeners will easily fall into a sonic pool with this song; however, the pool is not a light one or easily navigated. Instead, it has a darkness that lurks about the melancholic attitude in ‘The Creek’.
Riggen explains that ‘The Creek’ is primarily “to break the three-year span of no new Wilhelm releases…”, but it is also an insight into what Wilhelm has to come in the next year. An evolution in sound, this single appears to offer a greater sophistication in the melody and lyricism. The thing is, while there is this sophistication to ‘The Creek’, it retains a sense of raw innocence and honesty slithering through the song. As if a roughness is travelling along the creek making it more vulnerable in its totality.
For more from Wilhelm, check out his Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
