Contrary to appearances, The Wilderness of Manitoba hails from Toronto. It’s a band that embraces change, challenging themselves and expectations. And with every album they’ve released, the Wilderness has edged further out of the forest and deeper into the urban landscape.
Their lo-fi folk debut, Hymns of Love and Spirits, sounded like it could have easily been recorded in, as the band’s name implies, an isolated cabin somewhere in the Prairies. By comparison, Between Colours, the group’s fourth album, feels like it comes from a completely different band, and, in some sense it has, as the original five-piece is now a trio.
The band characterizes itself as an evolving entity. From their inception, they have virtually redefined themselves with every album. The evolution of their sound has run the gamut from four part harmonies and chamber folk to their current more cinematic style and arrangements.
To address the wider range of dynamics on the songs on their latest album, Between Colours, they introduced special guests into the mix. The expanding instrumentation and layered guitar and synth effects combine to create an adventurous sonic exploration. And as they move forward, the Wilderness of Manitoba continues to prove they can craft a quality tune, regardless of whether it’s played around a campfire, blasted from the stage of a crowded downtown bar, or on the gentle green of an urban seaside park.
