WISH HOUNDS – EP REVIEW


Wish Hounds – Onlooker 
Wish Hounds - Onlooker

Release Date: Out Now

It’s a privilege of a being a blogger that I sometimes get to watch bands emerge in front of my …. ears and Crediton quartet Wish Hounds are the latest band who have forced their way in to my consciousness and, dare I say it, heart. For a bunch of relatively young pups, the Wish Hounds sounds is decidedly mature as the first track of this debut EP attests. ‘Pray for Me’ is a doomy, gloomy slice of Shoegaze meets Goth but with a searing guitar solo and just enough of a hook to grab your attention. On ‘Avalanche’ there’s more urgency and less introspection as they employ a gloriously 80s guitar sound and the kind of bass rumble that the Cure or the Alarm would have unleashed in their prime.

The second half of the EP starts with ‘Ibadan’ which is, on the surface, a more straight-up indie rock number but the vocals are full of early Red Hot Chili Peppers meets Simple Minds confidence and those 80s guitar sounds leave you expecting Keifer Sutherland or John Hughes to pop up at any moment – or at the very least a saxophone solo. Closing out with ‘Fire Breather’, the band hit full on rock’n’roll stride with atmospheric guitars and desperate vocals being driven along by an exceedingly funky rhythm section. I’m not sure quite where you pigeon hole Wish Hounds which is obviously ace but I’m going to watch on with interest as these guys are surely destined for more interesting things than most bands can even dream of.


Live Dates:

25th May – One Big Showcase @ Bearded Theory, Walton-on-Trent

Comments