Rising U.K. rockers the Wild Things have announced “Afterglow,” a new concept album that, fittingly enough, is co-produced by the Who’s Pete Townshend.
The ambitious album “tells the story of the residents of the fictional town of Valentine amidst a paranormal phenomenon,” according to the announcement, which is accompanied by the single “Come Around.”
Townshend (pictured above, second from left, with the band), who has acted as a mentor for the Wild Things, says, “I loved working with the Wild Things on the music that became ‘Afterglow.’ The songs are rocking, but also full of nuances and witty cleverness. They are a fireball of energy and creativity and having supported the Who a few times I know they are spectacular live. Every one of them is so talented.
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“Syd is a sort of rock star triumph,” Townshend says of Wild Things vocalist Sydney Rae White. “She is a great singer and actress. I’ve known her since before she was kicking off the band with her brother [Cam]. She played the part of Jimmy’s love object in my touring production of Quadrophenia. Rob [Kendrick], her husband, also in the Wild Things, was also in Quadrophenia UK tour. And he and Syd fell in love. So I am not only their record producer I am also their CUPID.”
Townshend also plays on the album’s track “Drunk Again,” incidentally playing a Lowrey Berkshire Deluxe TBO-1 organ, the same instrument he played on the Who’s classic “Baba O’Riley.” At the end of the sessions, Townshend gifted the organ to the band.
The album isn’t just conceptual musically: Its “unique format allows listeners to program their own listening experience,” the announcement states. “With this album, the given tracklist is simply a suggested roadmap to the town of Valentine, and listeners are encouraged to adjust the song list to unlock deeper nuances of the storyline.” The album will be accompanied by a vintage-gaming-inspired choose-your-path text game connected to the narrative of the album.
“‘Afterglow’ is the culmination of years of evolution of the band,” the Wild Things said in a joint statement. “We couldn’t have ever dreamt that we’d be able to create this expansive project as we truly envisioned, but with the help of some incredible mentors, a lot of determination and belief in each other…here we are!”
Earlier this year, the group released a cinematic trailer for the album:
