Album Review: Oh Wonder – Oh Wonder
2 min read
London pop duo Oh Wonder are making waves lately, particularly from September last year when they took on the task of releasing one song every month for a year via Soundcloud; each of which have so far topped the chart on Hype Machine, not to mention garnering over 25 million streams on Spotify and Soundcloud combined. To feed the hype surrounding them, the pair are set to release their debut album Oh Wonder, consisting of the songs that have been adding fuel to the fire.
Airy and atmospheric pop, possibly the best way to describe the sound of Oh Wonder. From the uplifting Livewire to the more deep vibe of Technicolour Beat, listening to the two voices intertwine over the layered environments is quite refreshing. The lyrics on this album are quite universal, Landslide‘s aim is to bring you up from the rubble of life, and with two voices reinforcing the words “I’ll be there for you” makes you feel that little less alone. As appealing as the breezy sound of this album is, at times you feel that the tracks blend too well into each other, you begin yearning for some diversity. It’s not until you get to tracks like Shark or Heart Hope where the album’s sound wanders into a slightly different yet the same territory.
For a debut album, Oh Wonder is a decent introduction to Oh Wonder for those who have just joined the bandwagon. The chemistry between the duo is obviously there, and they both clearly know what potential they can bring out of their tracks, but as the album progresses it loses its charm slightly and becomes a little less adventurous; it needed something more to keep you occupied, the overall atmosphere of the record became a little flat. That being said Oh Wonder have plenty of time to grow with their sound, it will be interesting to hear what the pair get up to next.
