Dream Wife
Dream Wife
Pod/Inertia
Like Hansel and Gretel, Dream Wife have been dropping a trail of tasty breadcrumbs since forming, attaching fans like rabid seagulls on leftover chips at the beach, each being snatched up and hastily devoured while eagerly awaiting the next. Following a string of EPs and singles over the past year, their highly anticipated self-titled debut album has finally arrived.
Their rebellious style, slathered with glitzy riffs and meaningful yet seemingly carefree lyrics, is thrillingly refreshing and catchy as hell.
The album kicks into gear with already released tracks, Let’s Make Out, Somebody, Fire and most recently Hey Heartbreaker. Opener Let’s Make Out dives strait in, and I couldn’t think of a better track to open with. Strong guitar work and a rolling bass, peppered with upbeat catchy vocals will see you moving to the beat and singing along before songs end.
The cheeky accented vocals from Icelandic frontwoman, Rakel Mjöll, add a different flavour to the sound that will have you hooked on every little vocal whip. Her sweet-sounding dreamy vocals transform with apparent ease to screamy anarchic yells in tracks like Let’s Make Out and F.U.U. which seem to enhance the motive or vibe of the track.
Forming the foundation to Mjöll’s vocals, Alice Go’s fab guitar work will seductively worm its way into your brain while Bella Podpadec’s grungy basslines pulse through your body as you synchronise to the beat. Go’s rad, guitar heavy foundation is carried throughout the album with each track offering something different to keep you engaged.
Each track emits a somewhat euphoric feel that will have you stuck in a moment of joy as you dig through the album, with tracks like Somebody, Life Without Reason, Act My Age and Spend The Night keeping you deep in the moment. Expect to find yourself holding back the desire to hit repeat on certain tracks, just to let the album flow naturally and enjoy everything on offer. You don’t want to miss any of Go’s tidy guitar work either.
Album closer F.U.U. is a no prisoners track with a Spice Girls throwback which holds a neat feat verse from Islandic rapper Feature Dream. A killer closer to let loose and thrash out to that’s about seeking revenge in any way possible, and the lyrics get straight to the point with “I’m gonna fuck you up, I’m gonna cut you up, gonna fuck you up”.
It’s clear the Dream Wife trio have a strong connection, and combined, they’re a powerhouse of female empowerment and a force to be reckoned with, armed with a rebellious care-free attitude and razor-sharp pop-punk tunes. An awesome all-female band that’s totally kicking ass and femme-punk at is best, only more good can come from this three-piece as they continue to grow as a band.
Dream Wife have garnered praise for their riotous and often sold out live shows so be sure to catch them at their Australian live debut at Laneway Festival in Fremantle on February 11. Hearing the album is likely to have you scrambling for a ticket if you hadn’t grabbed one already.
RYAN ELLIS
