I’d like to introduce you to your next music obsession: Wild Truth. With well-crafted hooks, vibrant guitars, and the vocal styling reminiscent of other pop-rock bands like Fall Out Boy, Walk the Moon, and The Maine; this band has a little bit of everything to capture that “lightning in a bottle” feeling of discovering an artist ready to break out in a big way. The Richmond, Virginia-based band formed in 2017 and consists of Will Beasley (bass/guitar), Clayton Sargent (drums) and Nick Gargiulo (vocals/guitar). The Drift EP is definitely one of those records that grabs you from the first listen.
The set kicks off with the crunchy guitar riffs of “Pressure” and it becomes evident early on that Wild Truth are well-versed in writing infectious hooks that will stay in your mind well after the music is over. Lead vocalist Gargiulo is incredibly captivating in his vocal delivery as he goes from a croon in the verses to a full-blown emotive style in the chorus. It’s a great introductory song for those who want to see what this band is all about.
The lead single, “No Filter,” is as close as Gargiulo gets to channeling his inner Patrick Stump with some impressive falsetto vocals. The song is built around a fairly simple beat and guitar riffs, but as it unfolds, it begins to include more layers to its approach. The guitar solo in the middle of the track is brief, but it keeps the song from feeling monotonous. As much as the vocals are similar to Fall Out Boy, the track is more in the same vein as pop-rock bands like lovelytheband and Walk the Moon.
”The River” follows the first single, and has a more punchy beat courtesy of drummer Clayton Sargent and some underrated bass lines from Beasley. Wild Truth never stray too far from their comfort zone of creating spiraling riffs that allow Gargiulo to showcase his impressive vocal range and tell their story through his lyrics. The title track ends up being one of the more ambitious songs in the set as the band tries a different approach to their songwriting by focusing more on the sum of their parts, rather than trying to make their individual instruments stand out.
”Back and Forth” closes out the EP that is filled with great hooks and several thrilling moments. The great build-up to the massive chorus of, “What are we saving? / Why don’t we save the back and forth” makes for another memorable hook on the record. Overall, Wild Truth have everything you would look for when searching for the “next big thing” in music. They are well on their way to notoriety by writing this collection of infectious songs that pack plenty of purpose and professional poise behind them.