Dream Wife
Dream Wife


3.5
great

Review

by Dewinged STAFF
January 28th, 2018 | 29 replies


Release Date: 2018 | Tracklist

Review Summary: Married to chaos.

What started as a girl band parody project inspired by Spinal Tap to be performed in an art school in Brighton ended up becoming the real version of the already classic jest. Two brits, Alice Go and Bella Podpadec, and an Icelandic force of nature known as Rakel Mjöll were behind the plot that would lead them to this whimsical twist of fate, an affair with the music industry that effortlessly dragged them to burn through the London live circuit and, to further extents, to a Canadian tour where they occurred as a hasty and deadly hurricane.

The joke was on them, but so were the songs and more importantly, so was the connection that the three furies had solidified through their thrilling years as performers since their inception in 2013. Some years passed, some singles dropped and a modest EP was published and here we are in 2018, having London Lucky Records hosting and channeling Dream Wife's venomous debut album, a collection of tracks that range from something that sounds like Bangles under opium to straight out pissed off punk ravings caused by shy lovers.

"I'm going to f*** you up, going to cut you up" screams a lovely Mjöll in the maelstrom that is the closer "F.U.U", as she spits her final words before the album ends in a destructive fashion of roaring white noise and flung instruments.

But let's rewind to get the full picture.

Not three seconds into the album and the band is already yelling their lungs out in unison with opener "Let's make out". There's no time to waste with warm-ups or hesitations, Dream Wife wants you right here, right now. This feeling of haste intensifies in the twisted psychopathy of "Act My Age", where the sweet girl that dreams in "Kids" becomes a playful succubus swinging on 90s riot grrrl vibes.

The chemistry between the ladies is perfectly obvious in tracks like "Taste" or in chorus-filled single "Fire", where the energy the band unmistakably has as a live act translates on record with ease thanks to the sharp and somehow nonchalant production where Go's guitar bites and rattles with restless vigor while Podpadec's bass glues it with the chaotic, and almost spoken singing tempo of Mjöll, slightly reminiscent of the master of unpredictability, Jimi Hendrix.

Dream Wife's debut definitely has an appeal, a dirty, nasty and intimidating way to infect you with impatient chants and substantially delicious grooves but that like marriage, what once was the sweetest fruit of the tree may very well turn to be the rotten memory of happier times.



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user ratings (25)
3.1
good


Comments:Add a Comment 
Dewinged
Staff Reviewer
January 28th 2018


32219 Comments


Did this on mobile so there is high chance it is all over the place. No link, cause it's everywhere.

And funny enough, I got married weeks ago.

Here goes nothing, Sput.

Divaman
January 28th 2018


16120 Comments


Congrats on the marriage, Dewinged. Sounds like another interesting album here.

danielcardoso
January 28th 2018


11770 Comments


Yeahhh.
Giving this a second listen and i may bump to a 3.5 after all.

Dewinged
Staff Reviewer
January 28th 2018


32219 Comments


Tx Diva, it's worth at least one shot but it's also agrower, so 2 shots! And yay Dan! It's a fun record.

Papa Universe
January 28th 2018


22502 Comments


indie pop, punk, electronic


you had me at "dream wife"

dream POS

BlushfulHippocrene
Staff Reviewer
January 28th 2018


4053 Comments


A few small things regarding expression: the first sentence of the fifth paragraph could probably be split into three, "no time to waste with" makes a bit more sense to me, and "nonchalance" should be "nonchalant". But I'm a bit apprehensive about nitpicking at all because this is otherwise great and I'm amazed at just how much you improve with each write-up. Keep it up, man. "Fire" was pretty great, might listen to the rest of this soon.

Also, a huge congrats to you and your lucky lady.

Dewinged
Staff Reviewer
January 28th 2018


32219 Comments


Tx Uni! And Blush, made those edits, the first one I am not too sure if I did it correctly, just added a stop after first sentence. And thanks a lot man, coming from u it means a lot.

BlushfulHippocrene
Staff Reviewer
January 28th 2018


4053 Comments


Yes! No, that's perfect as is. (:

Gnocchi
Staff Reviewer
January 28th 2018


18288 Comments


This sounds turbulent

Great write up mate

Dewinged
Staff Reviewer
January 28th 2018


32219 Comments


Tx Nocte! I am digging the record but probably wouldn"t take them on a date, not without insurance.

Ashtiel
January 29th 2018


1479 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

the songs here are infectiously catchy and with the "no fucks given" attitude and raw vocal energy i can't help but think of the yeah yeah yeahs' fever to tell.



only real critique i can give is that i wish some of the songs had more lyrical depth but otherwise it's a pretty solid debut.

Dewinged
Staff Reviewer
January 29th 2018


32219 Comments


I actually like the mischievous in-your-face feel of the lyrics tbh, it fits the music.

TwigTW
January 29th 2018


3939 Comments


They're energetic, fun and flirty. This would be a great band to see in a club on Friday night shaking off the work-week.

edit: oh yeah, and congratulations!

bloc
January 29th 2018


70694 Comments


"Dream Wife"

Awaiz might dig this

Dewinged
Staff Reviewer
January 30th 2018


32219 Comments


Thanks Twig!

@bloc lol!

Dewinged
Staff Reviewer
January 31st 2018


32219 Comments


Edited some things up there. "F.U.U.", "Fire", "Act My Age" and "Spend The Night" are stellar tracks, might even bump this.

Project
February 8th 2018


5905 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

Liked this more than I expected, probably a 3.3 ish

Dewinged
Staff Reviewer
February 9th 2018


32219 Comments


I ended up bumping it from first listens. The band has a great vibe going on.

bgillesp
March 17th 2018


8868 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Pos, great album too

Dewinged
Staff Reviewer
March 29th 2018


32219 Comments


Just saw this, tx bgill! Album is damn fun.



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