Wilder Woods merges genres and offers poetic lyricism on new album ‘Curioso’

It was the spring of 2019 when an unnamed artist under the moniker of Wilder Woods released his debut songs “Someday Soon” and “Sure Ain’t.” Despite the iconic, raspy R&B vocals that many grew up listening to on Christian radio, fans were puzzled by the unknown identity of the artist. In an article from Brooke Ivey Johnson of PopDust.com, she said she initially speculated it was the voice of Billie Eilish’s brother FINNEAS, and later thought it might be Jökull Júlíusson of the Icelandic band KALEO. But in the end, Johnson realized who the voice belonged to: Bear Rinehart of NEEDTOBREATHE.

I grew up with Rinehart’s voice filling our family’s minivan and my childhood home. NEEDTOBREATHE songs like “Brother” and “Streets of Gold” take me straight to the early 2010s every time I listen. Rinehart has been the driving force behind NEEDTOBREATHE and the reason why this band has endured for over 25 years. Seeing Rinehart branch out and begin his own project was exciting, yet I couldn’t help but wonder how he would distinguish his music from NEEDTOBREATHE’s.

That answer came with his debut self-titled album. NEEDTOBREATHE has always been known for their alternative rock style, but Rinehart chose to infuse a laid-back R&B feel into his solo project. Wilder Woods differs from NEEDTOBREATHE, yet still includes all those great raspy vocals and feel-good lyrics that Rinehart brings to all his projects.

Rinehart’s latest album, “Curioso,” was released on Feb. 7, and is a 10-song project featuring previously released tracks “Time On My Hands” featuring Jim James and “Offering” featuring Anna Graves. The album’s name was inspired by Rinehart’s grandmother, who used to keep trinkets in a curio cabinet. In a way, that’s exactly what this album is – it’s a record full of gems and trinkets, each unique and merging different genres and styles.

The album begins with “Swimming In The Ocean,” an upbeat pop-rock song that feels so unequivocally Wilder Woods. It has the same fast-paced energy as his 2021 song “Long Night Coming,” and is the perfect song for a summer road trip. It’s a windows-rolled-down type of song, especially with the chorus, “Baby, won’t you come and take a ride with me? / Slide down in my Camino, 1973 / Take a dive in my devotion / Don’t stop till the wheels go swimming in the ocean.”

The album transitions into a slower pace with “Offering” featuring Anna Graves – one of the standout songs on the record. Rinehart is a master at writing love songs, and this track is no exception. The opening chord progression beautifully sets the tone, and Graves’ vocals tie everything together.

However, not every song on this album was a stand-out. The fifth song on the album, “Love Last,” feels a little too much like a NEEDTOBREATHE song. It’s a song that could’ve worked for their album “Into The Mystery,” but it feels out of place for a Wilder Woods record. That said, Rinehart still incorporated some incredible lyricism and poetry into this song with the lines, “We’re not afraid of darkness ’cause we’ll never let it fade to black … It’s a momentary lapse, not a sentence or an epitaph.”

One of my favorite songs on “Curioso” is “Descendants.” It brought me back to Wilder Woods’ earlier songs like “Supply & Demand” and “Electric Woman” with its feel-good energy. It’s another song that could be put on a road trip playlist with its electric guitars and steady drum beat. Rinehart’s country and alt-rock roots are brought to the forefront with this song, making it well worth the listen.

Overall, Rinehart gave us an album that’s just as fun as his first two “Wilder Woods” and “Fever / Sky,” but remains distinct from them. Every song on this album is laden with deeply profound and poetic lyrics, which makes “Curioso” feel like the most mature Wilder Woods album we’ve seen from him.

“I want to make music that does for people what music has done for me,” Rinehart shared in an interview with NPR. “You know, it’s been something I can lean on at times and been inspiring in ways, made life make more sense when I didn’t have the words for it.”

Wilder Woods hasn’t experienced nearly as much popularity as he initially did with the release of his debut album. Yet he’s still persisting, creating albums that continue to connect with his audience.

“Curioso” is a reminder that Rinehart hasn’t lost his touch. He’s still creating music that people can lean on, and I’m excited to see how his career will continue to expand with Wilder Woods, NEEDTOBREATHE and beyond.