What You Will was started by Chris and Jenni Wiggins in 2010. Members Leighton LaBorde, Kelsey Dolan LaBorde, Luke Fletcher, Ike Eickstaedt and Justin Douglas join the band, fleshing out the lineup. The band have played several festivals and venues in Texas including the Kerrville Folk Festival, LEAF Festival, the Leanne Atherton Barn Dance and regularly for HAAM Benefit Day, as well as for many benefits and fundraisers supporting the needs of people in the community. They recently released a full-length album entitled Nothing To See Here.
Their music revolves around folk, country and other like-minded genres but this is predominantly a rock band. As far as themes go, it might be more appropriate to say what the album is not about. They mention “Topics of interest that end up in our songs include but are not limited to pandemic pivots, ego death, mindfulness and thought maintenance, media programming, integrity, independent thought, the Monsters Inc agenda, the homeless crisis, embracing reality, the matrix, the Mandela effect, merging timelines, polarization and revolution,” “Smiling With My Eyes” is the opener and I liked the warm and inviting production. The mood here felt sort of carefree and relaxed to me. There’s a nice mix of instrumentation and the banjo added a lot. As the band creeps up on the chorus they turn into more of a power pop act. It sounded similar to Weezer if they had some banjo in the mix. The song is very catchy and well structured. Great opener that gives you a sense of the band. “Come Around” is arguably better and a highlight to my ears. The feeling here is a little more chipper and upbeat. I thought the vocals were well delivered with a heartfelt and earnest tone. As the song progresses more elements are added which starts to feel empowering. Similar to the previous song, once the chorus arrives, the guitar gains some distortion and the power pop qualities come out. My interpretation of the song was that is was about finding perspective and understanding with lines such as “Then I understood / Where I really stood / And I did all I could / To be found some more.” “Gone Fishin” is a wonderful song and by this point I was feeling immersed as to who they were as a band. They do stick to a similar structure with a folk inspired verse that rocks out once the chorus arrives. The vocalist is barely hitting some of the high notes but sounds good. “Why So Blind” is an anthem. I found the music to be very uplifting on this song and loved the descending vocal line that mixes with the lead guitar on the chorus. The slightly cerebral melodies on the title track “Nothing To See Here” mix with soothing vocal harmonies. It’s another song with a strong chorus that feels defined and memorable. They get a a little experimental on “Turn It Back Around.” Make sure not to miss the build around the two-minute mark which combines white noise, repeating vocals and a general sense of psychedelia. “The Great Reveal” felt like one of the more pensive and thought-provoking songs. They create this feeling with atmospheric soundscapes and soaring vocals. The band continues to hit it out of the park with just enough variation. “Driving Down These Thoughts” soars while “Far From Me” felt like a certified tearjerker seeped in warm melancholy. “Something Real” is almost pure bluegrass and they close strong with “Time Holds Her Tongue” which has some attitude and feels more aligned with a hard rock band. This is a great album. I felt like a lot of the songs were accessible the first time I heard them. The album also felt cohesive and I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of thought went into the sequential order of the songs. Take a listen.
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April 2024
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