Nathan Wheeler is an indie singer/songwriter that is no stranger to JFH. It's been three years since his self-titled EP released, but now Wheeler has returned with his newest EP.
Painful to Believe is a 5-song pop rock set that brings some atmosphere and texture to the table. Wheeler's voice is often reminiscent of Michael Stipe of REM, and musically several songs fit within the wheelhouse of REM's more moody or melancholy tunes.
"The End" is actually the beginning of the EP and starts things off on an over 7-minute long journey - and is the biggest example of the REM sound mentioned above. The song is well-composed and offers up a great taste of Wheeler's abilities in a track that doesn't quite feel as long as the actual run time. "Sometimes" comes in much more upbeat and features a great guitar riff coupled with a slightly more pop background. "Forbidden Fruit" returns to a moodier feeling and adds a distorted effect to Wheeler's voice. The song is nice, especially when the overdriven guitars hit, but the vocal effect is relied on too heavily. It's a cool sound, but it would be beneficial to go to a more natural sound for the main chunk of the song. "Soon Be There" changes things up yet again. The track is softer and contains a picked acoustic guitar at the start with Wheeler singing in a type of pseudo-falsetto. The track has a great sound musically, but again relies too heavily on a vocal technique that's better used in smaller doses. The EP concludes with "Not Much Left in Me." The track is a little more electronically based, featuring some keys, but has electric guitar that brings in nice elements from well-timed chugs to a fitting lead line. Also, the panning of that guitar lead line to the left in the mix is a really nice touch.
Musically,
Painful to Believe is fantastic. There are some great moments, really enjoyable sections, and the instruments are well-played. There's really nothing to complain about from a production stand point either as the mix is even and has some moments where production elements really stand out. The biggest sense of unevenness comes in Wheeler's vocal performance - or at least some of the choices made. Wheeler has a solid voice that fits this style of music, but at times, choices are made that become more distracting. The two instances mentioned above, and the extremely low beginning of the closing track, are the main areas of notice. It's also a little jarring to come off of the high end of his vocal range in one song, directly into the lowest end in the next. However, Nathan Wheeler has really put together a solid EP here. The music itself is fantastic and never misses. Opening with the longest song, "The End," is a bold choice, but one I wholeheartedly support. Fans of a moody type of pop rock will definitely want to check this one out.
- Review date: 9/14/24, written by
Michael Weaver of Jesusfreakhideout.com
(JFH Sponsor Spot)
JFH Staff's Second Opinion
For
Nathan Wheeler's second EP, the singer/songwriter has doubled down on the sound he established in 2021, while also tightening things up a little bit. Stylistically,
Painful To Believe is once again drenched in the Americana rock sound, which is a smart choice for Wheeler's particular vocal style. There are times where the vocals are pretty rough, but much of the time, they pair well with the music. The songs aren't all as long and drawn out as they were on the debut EP (both "Sometimes" and "Soon Be There" come in at just under 4 minutes). However, the remaining tracks range from 5 to 7 minutes, and unfortunately, they feel like it. The opener and closer both become a bit wearisome as they go on. Wheeler shows himself to be a competent songwriter and musician, but I think
Painful To Believe is more of a stepping stone on his way to becoming the best he can be and less of an EP that future longtime fans will return to.
- Review date: 9/5/24, written by
Scott Fryberger of Jesusfreakhideout.com
Record Label: None
Album length: 5 tracks
Street Date: October 16, 2024
Buy It: Bandcamp
- The End (7:09)
- Sometimes (3:57)
- Forbidden Fruit (6:15)
- Soon Be There (3:56)
- Not Much Left In Me (5:03)
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Jesus Freak Hideout (Michael Weaver): It's been 3 years since your last EP. What have you been up to during this time?
Nathan Wheeler: I recorded my first EP at the end of 2020 and had the idea for these songs way back then, but since then, lots of life has happened, including moving across the country and changing my job among other things.
JFH (Michael): I pick up some vibes of different bands on the EP (REM really hit me with "The End" especially). Who would you call your musical influences?
Nathan: I love so many bands/artists and certainly have an appreciation for REM. My all-time favorite band is Zao but I love everything from Jeff Buckley to Sigur Ros to As Cities Burn to Rufus Wainwright. For me, I didn't set out to sound like anything particularly; I just started writing and following wherever that was taking me.
JFH (Michael): I have to know the significance of the cover art. I had this same Velcro Mario wallet (from Avon) growing up!
Nathan: That's the wallet I have carried ever since I was about 14 years old! My dad gave it to me. I would say a lot of these songs are about faith, grief, doubt, etc. The last song on the EP is about my dad (who died when I was a teenager). For me, the wallet just symbolizes and embodies some of the ideas I'm conveying in the music.
JFH (Michael): Did you do all of the instrumentation yourself or did you bring in some help? Everything sounds excellent!
Nathan: I appreciate that! I'm so lucky to have connected on my first EP with a producer/engineer, just a crazy talented musician who is in Nashville named Evan Walley (https://www.evanwalley.com/). I had the melody and the direction of each song and worked on them using loops/drum pads/MIDI keyboard/etc, and he took that framework and developed these into what you hear now. I think he really resonated with what I wanted and, in my opinion, nailed it! I moved before we got a chance to finish everything so I worked on vocals at a studio near my new home in California. We took our time with it and I'm so grateful to have had the chance to work with Evan.
JFH (Michael): Bold call in starting with a 7+ minute song called "The End." I love it! Can you tell me about the song and why you chose to open with it?
Nathan: I wanted to subvert the notion that most people have; of course, a song 7 minutes long called The End would close out an album. But I think this song is the best introduction to this EP. I think it sets the whole tone for the EP. When I first wrote it, which was like in one night, it wasn't so big, the demo was more subdued, but as Evan and I worked on it, it grew and grew into this almost cinematic piece. The song is about so many things but I'd say it's a lament, a crying out to myself, others, God, etc.
JFH (Michael): I enjoy the guitar riff that plays throughout "Sometimes." It adds a lot to the vibe of the song. Can you talk about your writing process on this one?
Nathan: Again, Evan is an amazing musician. I had a lot of the elements you hear already but sent it to Evan, and he was like I'm feeling a Mute Math vibe on this one; what do you think of this riff? Blew my mind!
JFH (Michael): What had God been teaching or showing you in the lead-up to this EP?
Nathan: Years ago, I came across a book called The God Who Speaks by Ben Campbell Johnson. The book is about listening to/for God. He mentions in the book that sometimes we interpret silence from God as due to a lack of faith, but maybe it's something different entirely. I encourage folks to check it out. But for me, over the past few years, I've had a lot of changes in my life, including my faith. I would say maybe what God is teaching me or showing me is it's okay to just be human. To trust and rest in the peace that passes all understanding. The older I get, the more I just try to live in the mystery and allow myself the grace to be fully present as I am, wherever I am physically, mentally, spiritually, etc.
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