While there’s obviously no shortage of artists willing to soak up a retro stance, most prefer to focus on the giddier aspects of those older idioms, placing the emphasis on upbeat melodies and a cache of hooks sufficient to supply a fishing trawler. Not that Wisely lacks his share of ebullient refrains, but his is a more thoughtful delivery that probes the subtler undercurrents of those ‘60s sensibilities. On this, his fourth album billed to his own name (as opposed to the eponymous Willie Wisely Trio), Wisely takes a pensive approach that encourages a closer hearing the first time around, as well as many subsequent returns. It’s a cerebral sound that drapes the mellow and measured “It’s Gonna Be Beautiful,” “Unfamiliar” and “Cracked World View,” but the rich arrangements, wistful refrains and Wisely’s resonant vocals give the music a cool steadiness and assurance. Wisely manages to run the gamut when it comes to pure pop indulgence; “Nothing But Wind” meanders along on a tangled, spiraling trajectory while songs like “Tokyo Arbor” and “Vanilla” are nothing if not absolutely effusive. The willowy “Ella” and “Through Any Window” pay obvious homage to Paul McCartney’s breezier outflow (Macca guitarist Rusty Anderson is listed among the contributors), but on the whole, Wisely’s too astute a songsmith to be confined to any specific influence. A flawless effort from start to end, Wisely affirms the fact that its namesake remains one of pop’s most shamefully overlooked artisans.
--Lee Zimmerman
