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Archive Sep 08, 2015
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Oh Wonder fans around the world have been patiently waiting a year to get their hands on the band’s self-titled debut album.
The British indie band was established in 2014 at the hands of Anthony West and Josephine Vander Gucht, a duo who have been realising one track per month on their Soundcloud page for the past year, ultimately releasing 13 of the 15 songs on their debut album. At its inception, the project was a test for the duo to see if they could write and produce a track every month for a year. Worst case scenario they had a nice catalog of music, and best case scenario they end up with millions of fans worldwide and record companies fighting to get to release the project (spoiler alert they bested).
In addition to writing all of the bands material, both Anthony and Josephine lend their voices to each of the tracks on the album. Working together as perfectly as their harmonies, the two young artists are equal partners in each aspect of the band from lyrics to production.
Oh Wonder created an intoxicating album, which due to its monthly reward has grown with fans and allowed them to archive the past year by which new song they were playing all month. A new boy started at my work the same month they released their first song “Body Gold.” We lost our jobs to the tune of “All We Do” (where the lyric “All I did was fail today” crushingly summed up my feelings about my life), and listened to “The Rain” awkwardly on our first date while trying to find words to say to one another. Each month’s release has eerily come to us in the moments we needed it the most. By releasing each song singularly, the group forced us to capsulate the time in which it was released and gave us the chance to linger on all of the subtleties layered into each track instead of binge consuming the album as if it were a Netflix series.
They gave each track its proper moment in time, to sink in and resonate with their fans. Even my favorite albums possess tracks which I’ve never fully immersed myself in because others just appealed to me more. By separating each from the pack, they gave fans the opportunity to digest and decide for themselves which would be the stand out tracks. I can’t decide if I love every track they’ve put out because I’ve created relationships with and around each song, or if every track is unique and spectacular. Maybe a bit of both.
The only downside to the Oh Wonder album will be the hole it leaves when the first day of each month rolls around. But never fear; the duo is already brainstorming concepts for their next album.
Oh Wonder will be playing two shows in October in Los Angeles at The Troubadour on the 5th, and The Echo on the 6th, both which are sold out. *sobs into desk.
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