It’s been two years since This Wild Life, a two-piece acoustic rock duo from Long Beach, C.A., released their incredible album Clouded. In between those two years, the duo consisting of Kevin Jordan and Anthony Del Grosso, have grown in their songwriting skills and their devotion to their fans and their craft. Their skills are definitely shown on their newest album, Low Tides. The 10-track album features some of the best songs Jordan and Del Grosso have written so far.

On their second full-length album, the music is a lot more textured, bringing in new instrumentations that flow well with their mix of 00’s pop-punk, Top-40 radio, and Sunday morning acoustic music.

The new album feels like the band is starting off fresh, yet still sounding like the same boys from Clouded. On the first track “Hit The Reset” Jordan croons, “Hit the reset, I’m starting again/ I’m in the thick of it, does it hurt a little bit?” While being backed up with pedal effects and a faint drum beat.

The duo has dwindled a bit with drums on their last album, but it was only for the final track. But drums, performed by Del Grosso, are scattered throughout Low Tides, and it perfectly fits in with the strumming of the two guitarists.

The vocal talents of Jordan and Del Grosso soar like a plastic bag in the breeze throughout Low Tides. Jordan’s gentle singing and Del Grosso’s falsetto voice are more smooth and beautiful throughout the 10 songs on this album. The strongest songs that truly show the beauty of their voices can be found on tracks like “Pull Me Out,” “Just Yesterday,” “Fade,” and “Change My Sheets.”

While the listener may be blinded by the beauty of the music, it actually tells a tale of love and loss throughout the album. The two sing with a bit of pain in their tone in “Fade” as they sing, “But don’t mistake physical affection for emotional connection/ God you know I miss it, but girl you know I’m distant.”

The single “Pull Me Out” is about trying to forget someone in a past relationship, but they keep coming back no matter how much the narrator tries to get rid of them, singing, “I try to drown you out and bury you down deep/ But you’re still here with me, don’t think you’ll ever leave/ I’m sick of living in your bed but not your head/ You said you’d never leave/ I’m kind of wishing you’d go.”

In the sad song “Change My Sheets,” Jordan cries out, “I guess it’s true that I don’t know what to do without you” while he’s backed up with a haunting piano and the sounds of a soft, slow beat from a drum machine. The climax comes near the end with the addition of floor toms, which builds the end with sheer power and raw emotion.

Low Tides is a high point for This Wild Life. The lyrics and melodies sound more like it belongs to a band with a lot more experience in their careers than two young guys with acoustic guitars. Their handiwork clearly can be found if one reads the lyrics and studies the songs. For example, the track “Falling Down” feels more like it was written to be played by Young The Giant or Coldplay instead of an acoustic duo.

Overall, Low Tides is anything but a low point in This Wild Life’s musical adventure so far.

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