On their self-titled debut, Toronto's WISH have carved out a nice niche for themselves within the world of shoegaze. Their sound might be more homage than innovation, but there's a discernable reverence for shoegaze's blurry guitars and sleepy vocals that pushes this material beyond simple imitation. The roomy production courtesy of WISH's Kyle Connolly and Josh Korody is where that reverence is centred, making everything sound incredibly lush and woozy.
Though Emily Bitze's bass lines give each song a propulsive pulse, the songwriting doesn't really connect until lead single "Retro Grade" arrives, its poppy immediacy combining with the guitar freak-outs that follow on "Frances In Space" for an incredible one-two punch. From there, the record comes into its own: the second half really demonstrates the band's chops as more than just students of a sound, and they've got the melodies and hooks down, too.
(Hand Drawn Dracula)Though Emily Bitze's bass lines give each song a propulsive pulse, the songwriting doesn't really connect until lead single "Retro Grade" arrives, its poppy immediacy combining with the guitar freak-outs that follow on "Frances In Space" for an incredible one-two punch. From there, the record comes into its own: the second half really demonstrates the band's chops as more than just students of a sound, and they've got the melodies and hooks down, too.