Wishy is the millionth band to manifest nostalgic misfires of the dreamier side of 90s indie rock. Singer-songwriters and guitarists Nina Pitchkites and Kevin Krauter went to the same high school in Indiana, but later reconnected when the Pitchkites moved back to Indianapolis, joining The Sundays and My Bloody Valentine. After releasing a self-titled EP as Mana earlier this year, the band – featuring drummer Connor Host, bassist Mitch Collins and third guitarist and singer Dimitri Morris – changed their name to Wishy, signed to Winspear and took a shine to . thanks to LA producer Ben Lumsdaine.
The Paradise The EP is Wishy's proper introduction, and the words one might use to describe it—”My Bloody Valentine Unplugged” or “The Cardigans get more into The La's”—might seem like simple, exaggerated praise for the music that you have heard before. Yet, Paradise captures a uniquely Midwest approach to shoegaze, in which one's vision is directed not to one's shoes, but upwards and outwards, to quiet skies and secluded fields around small towns and cities where you can go for hours without seeing anyone outside from his car. Wishy don't need to hide their feelings under the noise: Although the Pitchkites and Krauter split songwriting duties, they both belt out the kind of dreamy, over-the-top melodies that invite you to dive along. One of ParadiseIts best moments come on the opening title track, when Krauter and Pitchkites switch off lead vocals while the other joins in near-perfect harmony. As the song comes to a close, Krauter's guitar riffs kick in and he becomes Wishy's youngest and happiest singer, like a child running free from his parents.
The rest of the EP showcases what makes each songwriter special. Pitchkites penned 'Donut', a sledgehammer of sound in which her riffs and vocals match the wistful frustration of the lyrics. She sees all the possibilities of the open road, but her crappy car can't get her anywhere. When she wails the last line of the chorus, “I'm speeding down HOV and huffing on benzine,” the guitars and drums are too busy dancing around her ruined reverie to notice. “Spinning” takes a slower, calmer route to getting lost, sounding a bit like The Radio Dept. with a danceable drumbeat seemingly lifted from Krauter's old band Hoops.