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Because Hold, Jack Tatums fifth album under the moniker Wild Nothing, was written in the aftermath of new parenthood during the pandemic, it was probably inevitable that it would be searching and existential music. But during the recording process, the artist known for synth-pop tastefulness took it as an opportunity to reach for a new sonic maximalism and wider set of influences.With contributions from longtime collaborator Jorge Elbrecht, Tommy Davidson of Beach Fossils and Hatchies Harriette Pilbeam, first single Headlights On features an acid house-worthy bass groove and breakbeat that prove Tatum is playing for the rafters.But that club ambiance is misdirection. Its a fun song, but lyrically, its about my wife and I going through one of the worst times in our relationship, Tatum said. I dont know why, but Ive always been so drawn to these kinds of juxtapositions and striking these balances.Tatum produced the rest of the record on his own, partially out of necessity, due to the challenges of the pandemic. More than anything, this record reminded me of working on my first LP. Just truly being holed up in this room, alone with no input for such a long time, he said. The songs were eventually brought to Adrian Olsen at Montrose Recording in Richmond to begin recording drums and filling in the gaps. While largely a product of isolation, Hold also reflects the things Tatum has learned from collaborators, both on previous records and during his acclaimed work with Japanese Breakfast and Molly Burch.The rest of the record was mixed by Geoff Swan, who listeners might know for his work with Caroline Polachek and Charli XCX. I reached out to Geoff because I wanted to find someone that could help me make this sound as big as possible, he said. Ive always been very inspired by and attracted to big tent 80s acts. Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush are two of my biggest influences ever because they clearly never shied away from that kind of ambition. Swan put Tatums vocals high in the mix, and throughout the album, he embraces playful vocal processing like never before.
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