"Pocket Full of Dreams" Released: November 18, 2014
Wild Life is the fifth studio album by Canadian pop/rock band Hedley. It was released via Universal Music Canada on November 11, 2013, in Canada,[1] while the album was via Capitol Records in the US on May 19, 2014.[2] The album debuted and peaked at No. 4 on the Canadian Albums Chart. It sold 64,000 copies in Canada in 2013.[3]Wild Life was certified Platinum by Music Canada on March 10, 2014.[4]
Guitarist Dave Rosin described the album as "music for good times." He told Vancouver Sun that the album was about positivity, appreciating "the little things around you" and "finding a way to always see the light at the end of the tunnel."[7] According to Hoggard, the group spent months writing and experimenting with different sounds, such as using old analog synths, which he said "found lots of inspiration" from.[8] Writing about 50 songs for the album, Hoggard said they avoided having the songs "sound like the same thing."[9] "Crazy for You" has been described as disco, while the album showcases a melancholy side on "Pocket Full Of Dreams" and the hopeful "Wild Life".[7]
Release
On October 11, 2013, the group announced the track list for Wild Life, with a release date for November 11.[10] The band embarked on their headlining Wild Live Tour across Canada from February to April 2014.[11] The album was released in the US on May 19, 2014, via Capitol Records.[12]
The second track "Crazy for You" was released as a promotional single on October 22, 2013,[20] and as the second official single from Wild Life on January 10, 2014.[21] It was also released to hot adult contemporary radio in the US on March 17, 2014.[22] A music video for the song premiered February 14, 2014.[23] The song has peaked at No. 7 on the Canadian Hot 100[15] and within the top 10 on the CHR,[17] Hot AC,[18] and AC radio formats[16] and has sold 166,000 digital copies.[19] The music video stars actress Aurelia Scheppers.
The seventh track "Heaven in Our Headlights" was issued to radio as the third official single from the album on June 17, 2014,[24] while the music video premiered later that week on June 19.[25] It peaked at number 14 on the Canadian Hot 100.[15] The song reached number 5 on the Canada AC,[16] number 8 on the Canada CHR/Top 40[17] and number 4 on the Canada Hot AC charts.[18] The song sold 82,000 digital copies in 2014.[19]
The fifth track "Pocket Full of Dreams" was announced as the fourth single from the album on November 18, 2014. The band uploaded an official lyric video to YouTube on the same day.[26] The song peaked at number 33 on the Canadian Hot 100[15] and at number 18 on the Canada CHR/Top 40.[17] It also reached number 10 on both the Canada AC and Hot AC charts.[16][18]
Wild Life was met with generally positive reviews from music critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic gave the album a three out of five star rating. He compared the album's second track, "Crazy for You" to Daft Punk's "Get Lucky". He stated, "Hedley's blatant desire to have a hit by any means necessary is tawdry but endearing because there is so much gloss here even the songs that aren't quite as potent sound alluring due to the big-budget slickness."[27] Johan Wippsson of Melodic called the album "a little too polished and radio-friendly" and drew a comparison to the likes of OneRepublic, Train, and Parallel. However, he praised the tracks "Mexico" and "All the Way".[29] The Montreal Gazette complimented the first track "Anything" for its catchiness.[30]Renowned for Sound remarked, "the voice of Jacob Hoggard somehow always manages to truly give off the vibe of being fed up, happy, longing or insecure. Likewise, the vocals and many sounds of the likes of Dave Rosin, Tommy Mac and Chris Crippin help to shape this album into a very memorable one.[31] Jenia Schukov of Confront Magazine wrote, "With this being the fifth studio album from Hedley, most would assume that new material would be difficult for the group but they seem to welcome this challenge with open arms. As their previous record Storms did, Wild Life draws on personal experiences and hardships for inspiration. Lyrically, Hoggard is unmatched as he tells stories throughout the songs in a way that very few can."[28]
↑ Jenia Schukov (November 26, 2013). "Hedley – Interview". Confront Magazine. Archived from the original on November 28, 2013. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
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