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Wilderspool — As All the Stars Begin to Fade...
(Think Like a Key MOD501, 2026, CD / DL)

by Henry Schneider, Published 2026-09-23

As All the Stars Begin to Fade... Cover art

There is a dearth of information about Wilderspool. The name is apparently a UK locality, a brass band, and now a pop psych band. Beyond that, good luck finding anything about them. Even though this is a Think Like a Key release, the album isn’t listed on the TLAK website as of the date I am writing this review. Why make it so mysterious? As All the Stars Begin to Fade... is an uneven mix of pop, funk, and psychedelia. The band has some good ideas, but it takes a while for them to get interesting. “White Wednesday” is dreamy pop-funk psych with a percussive wah-wah guitar riff. A very mellow “Shaft.” “Mersey, Mersey” is presumably a pun on Cannonball Adderley’s “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy,” although it sounds nothing like it. Instead, it’s a lysergic pop psych tune with processed dialog and mellow vocals. “Natural High” has bass, synth, drums, and guitar, and the instrumental parts are pretty good. The vocals? Not so much. A lightweight toon. It ends with organ and what sounds like a subtle steel-drum synth patch. “Space to Breathe” continues the smooth psych-funk approach. “Just give me space to breathe.” Okay... The first four songs had me wondering if Wilderspool had enough material for an album. Then comes “Wild Apple Girl,” and things improve considerably. Jangly guitar, mountain-music psych, and some tasty psychedelic organ. Now we’re getting somewhere. “Strange Voodoo” mixes funky psych with voodoo gibberish and a very cool groove. “All That Glitters Ain’t Gold” has fantastic bass riffing and more funky psych guitar. “I’ll Get My Coat” really cooks, with trippy guitar, organ and, finally, some edge to the vocals. “Rollercoaster” starts and ends with pseudo-mechanical and carnival sounds and has a driving beat. The title immediately brings to mind the 13th Floor Elevators song, although Wilderspool’s version doesn’t approach the genius of the Elevators or Roky Erickson. It is still a very good song. The odd thing about this album is that Wilderspool seems to find its identity halfway through. The first four tracks are pleasant but pretty lightweight. The second half is where the band really starts to cook, with stronger bass, better guitar and more interesting psych touches. A little editing would have helped. There is some very good stuff here, but you have to get through the fluff to find it. Once Wilderspool hits its stride, though, As All the Stars Begin to Fade becomes a pretty enjoyable bit of modern psych-funk.

Filed under: New releases, 2026 releases

Related artist(s): Wilderspool

More info
http://www.thinklikeakey.com/release/606196-wilderspool-as-all-the-stars-begin-to-fade

 

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