Thereaftermi - No Future
By: Taylor Beals
No Future is the latest release from Thereaftermi (there-after-me), AKA Tim Wilder. Wilder is a singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist from Grand Rapids, MI. Grown from roots of writing songs in his bedroom and playing coffee house acoustics sets, Wilder has come to hone a sound that is uniquely his own. No Future represents an evolution in songwriting for Thereaftermi that is sure to catch ears and turn heads. The brand-new EP expertly blends genres--everything from jazz, hip-hop, and R&B, to industrial and noise rock--all with dream-pop sensibilities that will keep these songs stuck in your head for hours. This boundary-pushing project plays nothing safe, and Wilder’s willingness to take chances is rewarded handsomely.
The project kicks off with Rise, a song filled to the brim with lush and vibrant guitar work over a looping back beat, reminiscent of indie rocker, Tash Sultana. Wilder’s vocals croon over an upbeat dream-pop background as he contemplates some of his deeper struggles, particularly given the current isolation. The second track, Dreams, is a soulful jazz ballad with spoken word/rapped vocals that evoke the feeling and intimacy of a night out at a small, yet lively, piano bar.
Blood Raven takes a blistering turn from the easy listening of the previous track and experiments with noise and industrial instrumentation. Layers of distorted guitar and vocals are compressed tightly, creating a sense of claustrophobia and urgency before leveling out, as Wilder speaks out on the social issues facing us today and the feelings of helplessness often associated with them. Wilder spoke to his songwriting and his socially conscious lyrics stating, “I personally love that I can make a piece of music that lyrically seems abstract or fictional, but actually I’m writing about corrupt politics or self-loathing and depression.” Wilder cites artists such as Rage Against the Machine, as well as the greater “punk scene,” as giving him a reason and inspiration to write meaningful music. This personality and passion are things that resonate throughout the entire project.
The experimentation on No Future is taken further, and possibly to its greatest degree, in Void, what Wilder describes as his “riskiest song yet,” but one that absolutely pays dividends. A driving 808-laced trap beat sets the framework for an instrumental that crosses boundaries in a completely unique and fascinating way, before seamlessly transitioning into a dreamy chill-wave conclusion. Inspiration from the likes of power hip-hop duo Kanye West and Kid Cudi can be felt in the production--as well as on the later track, Smoke Rings--as spacey and atmospheric tones are set.
Hope is a beautiful acoustic ballad, a love song dedicated to Wilder’s mother. The instrumentation is kept light and restrained in a way that perfectly highlights the heart of the song and showcases the love and emotion within it. “I know I never told you that you were the closet thing to heaven that I had. When I kept calling, you were the voice a searched for.” The vocals are soft yet powerful, and the swelling guitars and percussion create the sensation of being wrapped up in a warm embrace. The closer, Lone Wolf, is a live, stripped down acoustic performance in which Wilder’s raw and visceral vocals are shown off again. The power can be felt as he cries about facing his demons head on. “I hold my own!”
Wilder is continuing to grow and evolve as an artist, and No Future is an excellent example of this evolution coming to fruition. While Thereaftermi may have started as a simple acoustic act, it has become so much more than that, and the music being released is evidence of this. Wilder holds on to his roots, yet embraces an ever-changing style and approach, and doesn’t hesitate to take bold risks. Thereaftermi is quickly establishing itself an artist to watch in West Michigan as they continue to release deep, inspiring, and thought-provoking music that refuses to play it safe. Take some time to give No Future a listen. Hopefully it will inspire you as well.
Check out No Future, and everything else Theraftermi at the links below:
Bandcamp:
https://thereaftermi.bandcamp.com/
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/38QEmjI4hHePSr6vnTVlK7?si=Kmn5NqgIRb-WIeVjPrKtQA
YouTube: