By Ash Jones, Staff Writer
The star-studded soundscapes of dream-pop, thought to be left in the nineties, are now reimagined with their own lineup of new-age figureheads that still love their reverberating pedalboards.
DIVING INTO THE SOUND OF “SPINNING”
Wishy, a band that emerged from Indiana, is etching outside of the dream-pop model. On their new EP, Paradise, they provide a stack of songs that serve as lush iterations of fervency. Primary songwriters of the crew Nina Pitchkites and Kevin Krauter set the EP ablaze with a euphonious sound that comingles calamity with the sublime. The third track, “Spinning” has a pristine voice that trudges through the fuzz of the brazen guitars and brigade of drums.
Midwestern artists will make music adorned with dollops of grime like it’s innate. Paying homage to their picturesque, old-agrarian landscape, Wishy opens the curtains and lets the light shine in on their blemished surface. They’re celestial and airy, though marked with intentional blots that make their music all the more human. “Spinning” is chorded with bright guitar strums, crooned over by Pitchkites who strikes the melody with a dulcet, cool-girl edge.
The story that follows “Spinning” is like the inner dialogue of a teenage girl with unceasing reveries. We’re brought into the subject’s hazy world in which the lyrics reflect, wondering what or who are they so anxiety-ridden about? Pitchkites opens with glum ponderance, “I’m starting to feel like it’s not just me anymore.” As the song catapults into the chorus, the subject thinks back on a more whimsy, free-spirited moment of youth: “Spinning around on the kitchen floor. I didn’t think I could dance anymore.” Whoever is engraved in their mind will be caked into nostalgic, though lovelorn memories that’ll last a lifetime. At its core, dream-pop is a genre that emphasizes the seraphic essence of melancholia. On “Spinning,” and other Wishy songs, we get a twist to this. Though desolation is a focal point, the melody glimmers with an upbeatness that takes the bitter with the sweet.
WHERE TO CATCH WISHY
Breaking out of their basement studio and stretching beyond the bounds of classic ’90s dream-pop, Wishy is starting to erupt on the scene. After a myriad of 2023 releases, the band is touring primarily on the East Coast this summer, but finishing off at their home arena in Indiana. Look out for Wishy as they continue to tear open possibilities and sear their unique flair into the ears of many.
Every Monday, our music staff brings you a new Pick of The Week, detailing some of our favorite songs. Check out our previous Picks of the Week here, and make sure to tune in to WERS 88.9FM!