The cool evolution of Carlos Wilde.
Wilde’s smooth new jazz emerges from punk and rock.
If ever there was an unsung hero in this fickle music business of ours, it’s surely the rock guitarist, songwriting and production prodigy who is Carlos Wilde.
I’ve been promoting Carlos’s music for some ten years and, each time I do, the feedback from the public has always been phenomenal. Fans from around the world just love his work which until now has been mainly indie rock, rock-blues and punk.
But, says Carlos: “It was time for a change. I’ve always loved experimenting with music, but after a lifetime of recording rock I’ve recently been drawn to the chilled-out sounds of smooth jazz.
“People have often say how my voice and delivery suit music’s softer side as well as the rockier stuff, so I thought: why not give it a go?” The result is a new EP of cool jazz entitled, ‘The Unsung Hero’.
This is a record where Carlos Wilde’s production and music programming skills come to the fore. “Every song on ‘The Unsung Hero’ uses programmed drums, loops and, at times, samples,” he says.
“As part of the production, I did quite a bit of editing, including cutting, trimming, volume balancing, time alignment, adding effects and shaping the overall sound.”
‘Unsung Hero’ features five great tracks: ‘Blue’, ‘Take What You Want From Me’, ‘Whole Again’, ‘Without Living Today’ and the EP’s title track, ‘Unsung Hero’. Carlos Wilde explains the thinking and inspiration behind his new songs, below.
Unsung Hero is dedicated to all those quiet, selfless people who support others while dealing with their own challenges. Yet they never expect anything in return. One such a person is my best friend who encouraged me to take this musical leap and try something different. The title felt fitting, especially regarding my friend.
Blue is built around the idea of emotion, seeing it as an ocean: deep, beautiful, sometimes overwhelming but always shifting. It’s about longing and memory, how certain feelings stay with you no matter how much time passes. The “blue side” is that emotional state where the writer feels everything — a myriad of sensations.
‘Blue’ is also a song about the emotional pull someone can have over you. Smooth jazz – moody, flowing, intimate – felt like the right space for this.
Take What You Want From Me is about loving someone who’s slipping away emotionally and feeling powerless to stop it. There’s a lot of pain and frustration in the lyrics, but also a deep willingness to give whatever it takes to save that connection.
‘Take What You Want From Me’ touches on themes of emotional distance, silence, and the desperate hope to reach someone before they fall too far. The smooth jazz backdrop gives it a moody, atmospheric feel, like you’re floating in that space between holding on and letting go.
‘The Unsung Hero’ EP cover, hand-drawn by Carlos. “The girl represents the person the EP is dedicated to,” he says. “The flower is her prize, the gold medal, if you will. And the Leaning Tower of Pisa symbolises her holding everything together and keeping it from falling.”
Whole Again is about reaching out from a place of emotional collapse: feeling lost, broken, and desperate for connection. ‘Whole Again’ is a plea for love not just as comfort, but as something lifesaving.
The lyrics reflect someone trying to rebuild their lives after being shattered, holding onto the hope that the right person can help them feel complete again. The smooth jazz setting brings softness and space to the emotion. It’s tender, reflective, and quietly powerful.
Without Living Today is about refusing to let life pass you by, even when it’s uncertain, messy, or tough. It speaks to that inner desire to stay present, strong, and find meaning in the now, no matter what’s changing around you.
‘Without Living Today’ has a more grounded, almost philosophical tone compared to the other tracks. It’s less about heartbreak, more about waking up and choosing to really live. The smooth jazz vibe gives it a steady, soulful pulse that mirrors that determination.
Below are links to Carlos’s YouTube and Bandcamp channels:
https://www.youtube.com/c/carloswilde
For those who don’t know, who is Carlos Wilde?
A rock guitar, songwriting and production prodigy living in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where he teaches English language and tutors English teachers, Carlos Wilde did his time playing in rock bands while based in Ireland. He then paid his dues, touring solo across Europe, performing live in France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain, where he settled.
For more about Carlos, check the posts below.
Has Carlos Wilde gone punk?
Rock’s latest Wilde one.
