She’s only a teenager – what does she know? Well, for starters, they know a lot. Don’t let the title fool you, the new song “Seventeen” from sister-duo Wild Fire ignites quite a bit of passion and mature songwriting. “Seventeen” is a splendid little ditty – a modest pop/country concoction. With harmonies that are like ribbons on a windy day, wistfully gliding throughout the song, Wild Fire breaks away from the mundane. “Seventeen” might be youthful and fun, but it also resonates wildly.
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A boundless guitar, pacing along like it’s a background player, fills the canvas. I liked how the guitar work enhances the female vocals – it’s a perfect blend of Music City and modern pop. It thrives because of that synergy between the voices and the natural nuances of the guitar strings. The guitar riffs are at first sketchy, like they are hopscotching across a pavement. I liked the rusty-tones that had a slight polished sound within them. Kayla and Kelli Iutzwig, who make up Wild Fire, have voices that intertwine each other like a tetherball game, know just the right parts to unwind and release the harmonies. It’s hard to know when one starts, and when the other ends. I loved the way they sound like they are playing in a small room – like this is an open diary moment.
When you really dive deep into the lyrics, the song suggests that the protagonist has self-assurance one moment, but self-doubt the next morning. Life is a merry-go-round, so it seems, and the storyline breaks through the cracks of what being a 17-year-old feels like. It’s an emotional rollercoaster. I think there’s both a hidden sadness and compartmentalized joy within the “Seventeen” walls. What would it matter, I’m 17, is one of the opening lines. The Iutwig’s have an authenticity to their voices, and it’s additionally impacted when you hear the honesty that shines through in their lyrics. I don’t know what I want, but I know what I won’t, they sing. They don’t dig that line; they just casually sing as if they were perfectly content.
I lost myself in their harmonies but found myself bopping my head just the same. The delicious rhythm is indicative of a country pop tune, but it also feels so much more. I think this song has a lot of elements to it – ones that you have to discover with more than one listen. I think if they did this song live, on morning drive radio, you’d get percolated enough to turn up the volume. It makes you feel good – makes you smile, laugh a little and just a nice little nugget to your day.
Wild Fire hail from Houston, Texas. “Seventeen” joins a growing arsenal of hits from the sisters – they’ve already released the EP Wild Fire, Young Love, Been There and Rose Colored Glasses. You might find that their sound has certainly evolved, but they have stayed true to their core sound of harmonies and upbeat tones. They are quite entertaining and that extra spunk bubbles to the surface in “Seventeen”.
Chadwick Easton