“The Wilderness” reminds us that change and renewal are constants in life. Just as the natural world moves in cycles, so do our lives, and moving on, changing location, starting afresh, and building new lives are not only healthy actions to take but paramount to our growth as humans.
And if the blends of folk dexterity and wide-screen rock cinematics come together in the song to perfectly picture the landscape of his northern Canadian home, those sonics are also filled with hope and optimism for the future, a future that, perhaps, lies elsewhere.
Acoustic guitars shimmer like the crystal skies above him, and things run on a confident groove. The song ebbs and flows through masterfully arrayed dynamics as Bryce Styan contemplates love and loss and longing and life, sets his back to those familiar vistas, and prepares for the next chapter of life’s rich story.
There is a gentleness to the song, allowing it to make poignant and powerful points without overplaying its hand or overwhelming the listener. It feels more like the intimate words of a close friend than a universal message for all, a private conversation, words from a wise confederate, brotherly advice. But for all that, it is a timely and timeless song about the nature of the human condition, and being so, there is a message for us all.
