Everyone knows the feeling of anxiously awaiting your favorite band’s new release, counting down the weeks, days, and hours. When it arrives, listening to every song on repeat for three straight days seems not only reasonable, but necessary. Multiply that feeling by twelve. The southeast London duo, Oh Wonder, elicited this anticipation in a unique way: they released a song on the first day of every month for a year. What started off as a small, fun experiment soon turned into a full-fledged project, creating a large dedicated fan base over the course of an entire year. In September 2015, the band compiled each song on a self-titled album, Oh Wonder, with two added songs. What resulted was a delightfully mellow soundtrack, illuminated by a melodious pair of vocals.
Each song on the album has an exclusive spin to it, yet they each mend together to form a cohesive listening experience. “Technicolour Beat” truly portrays the band’s chill electropop style. The song opens with an ominous piano rhythm accompanied by smooth-jazz snapping fingers that convince you to sway along in preparation for the vocals. Josephine Vander Gucht and Anthony West’s voices perfectly harmonize, so much so that you’ll realize — clichés aside — that they were made to sing together. Their voices blend as the song progresses, creating a unified voice singing “I feel safe in the 5 am light. You carry my fears as the heavens set fire." Perfect for the summer time, these simple lyrics conjure feelings of an early morning daze, a brief moment when it is impossible to separate an ideal dream from the reality of life. The display in the sky as the sun rises only creates comfort while knowing someone is next to you sharing that experience.
Despite being a relatively new band, Oh Wonder has continuously sold out shows throughout their current tour. They'll be in Boston for two nights in mid-June, and you can also catch them on August 12th when they will be opening up for Halsey at the Agganis Arena.
