Oh Wonder - Oh Wonder

 

Oh Wonder

Oh Wonder

2015

The singing duo Oh Wonder have done something pretty novel with their new album Oh Wonder. Instead of a full release at one time they put out a new song every month for a full year. This is a model that is being followed by a few artists now including The Chainsmokers and RAC. In the end however there are 15 tracks rather than 12 of breathy synth-pop. Josephine Vander Gucht and Anthony West sing understated on almost the entire album rarely letting their voices full bloom. "Landslide" is a clear standout on this record and the one time where they really pick up the pace above a crawl, and it works. Josephine even lets out a nice growl while she sings on this track and you are right there with her, you can really feel it. The Duo does the same on "Without You" but it is fleeting and resigned only to the chorus and bridge, the rest of the song follows the same suit as the other tracks.These two need to let it go a bit and not be so focused on the quiet moments. The rest of the record just feels like forced love songs even though the model of a track a month has had them at the top of music blogs for months. People were ready for the gimmick, but perhaps the album itself didn't live up to the hype.

The album really suffers in the later tracks when you begin to hear that same thing over and over again. Oh Wonder's attempt to be sensual again and again just fall flat. The love and emotion that they are trying to get across become just words. "Blood rush in a hazy glow/ my hands/ your bones" sung on "Lose It" is attempting to sing about sex, but it doesn't make the listener feel anything. Potentially releasing a single a month allowed the group to become hugely popular, they have already sold out most of their tour in Europe and the US, but they couldn't see how one dimensional the record was becoming. Once they were locked into the idea though there wasn't to many changes that they could actually make. The singles tied them down where they may have been able to go back otherwise and do some editing. In the end the record does have some bright points, but never comes together as a unified solid front. It appears that the parts of an album do matter when bringing the whole thing together, who knew?

6 out of 10