“It’s wild like us,” croons Monica Salazar in her smoky voice. The entirety of “Wild Like Us” by Courtship Ritual seems like a clouded haze. It sounds like what walking into a smoke filled room feels like. The fogginess rolls in with a charming sense of sloth. The ominous backdrop of a gothic dream seems fit as the soundtrack to a post-midnight slow dance.
It’s also what makes Salazar’s voice cut through with such clarity. Her delivery, deliberate and acid-tipped, becomes the focus of the track. She hypnotizes as she sings, even finishing the track with a ritualistic chant. Salazar’s singing serves as the perfect distraction while band mate Jared Olmsted crafts surprises to break the trance. A sudden, almost offbeat bit of bass and a distorted guitar riff add a sense of chaos to the otherwise lethargic song. It’s a splash of color on an already gorgeous gray scale.