Baltimore's Wilderness has a sound sometimes likened to Johnny Lydon fronting Explosions in the Sky. Frontman James Johnson's vocals provide the savagery, while the band's shimmering atmospherics provide the beauty. Wilderness patiently and cerebrally focus on exploring many levels of dynamics, using crashing cymbals and generous percussion play as pay off for the groundwork their spacey, psych-induced guitars established.

The band also seems fascinated with repetition, in both their droning notes and Johnson's lyrics. It's as if they want to see how long they can get away with staying the same before they break free into sublime sonic outbursts. Wilderness can be compared to a gloomier version of the Talking Heads, or a less metal Black Mountain. But see them for yourself before making a judgment on one of the most talked-about bands of the year.

Wilderness plays Mercury Lounge, Friday, August 26th.