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A nocturne is defined as “a short composition of a romantic or dreamy character suggestive of night,” according to OxfordDictionaries.com. It makes sense then that dream pop act Wild Nothing’s newest album, titled “Nocturne,” contains songs that capture just that. 

Made popular by 19th century Romantic composer Frederic Chopin, nocturnes are delicate, dreamy and emotionally evocative pieces. It is not much of stretch to say that dream pop, which features pensive singing, ethereal soundscapes and moody atmospheres, is the modern day rock equivalent to the classic nocturne piece. 

This parallel was obviously not lost on the talented Jack Tatum, the lone studio member of Wild Nothing. Having released their first album “Gemini” in 2010 to considerable buzz, “Nocturne” only cements their status as one of the premier dream pop bands working today. 

While “Gemini” was a promising but wobbly debut, “Nocturne” manages to keep momentum throughout the album by offering catchy hook after catchy hook. While the mood is still decidedly melancholic throughout most of the album, every song manages to escape the boring song structures that lesser dream pop acts are prone to. 

The album blasts out of the gate with perhaps the best song of the album, “Shadow.” A subtly complex soundscape of offbeat drumming and a groovy bass-line perfectly complement a positively resounding violin chorus. 

In a way, the song announces everything that Wild Nothing improved from their last album: an expanded sound featuring more varied instrumentation and more consistently accessible hooks and choruses. 

Despite moving in a more poppy and expansive direction, Wild Nothing does nothing to escape their dream pop label. In fact, this album seems to embrace it more than ever. The Cocteau Twins and especially The Cure are two classic dream pop acts that pop to mind while listening to “Nocturne,” though Tatum’s deep, inviting voice and his songs’ subdued moods give Wild Nothing a unique sound in the dream pop cannon.

The lyrics, consisting mainly of lamentations of lost love and troubled relationships, are typical for the genre, though there are a few stand-out songs. 

“Only Heather” is the fulcrum of the album, an upbeat and joyful jaunt that could even get Robert Smith shaking his rump. The lyrics parallel the mood of the song, as Tantum describes his feelings for, you guessed it, Heather: “Cause I’m with Heather/Yeah only Heather/Can make me feel this way.” 

It’s songs like “Only Heather” that capture the idea of a modern day nocturne. 

A song form that has touched humans for hundreds of years has found a new standard bearer with Wild Nothing’s “Nocturne.”