CD of The Week

Emerging from the semi-major American city with perhaps the smallest musical footprint (Indianapolis), Wishy have quickly become favorites among those who enjoy the melodic end of American indie rock. Their distinctive, but highly accessible blend of power pop, dream pop, and fuzzy arrangements has strengthened with their second album, Nature’s Pill. The album is a very strong collection of bittersweet, relatable songs that both further develops the promise of their debut while also hinting at new, intriguing directions for their future.

With the exception of the unmemorable closer “Party World,” Nature’s Pill essentially consists of songs that are as immediately catchy as a zombie virus (“All the Rage,” Lovesick”) or songs with hooks that sneak in slowly before becoming irresistible (“Mona Lisa,” “Freak 99”). Either way, the listen is inviting and compelling. Besides their impressive writing and arranging abilities, the biggest asset of vocalists/guitarists/songwriters Kevin Krauter and Nina Pitchkites is their winning harmonies, which add feeling and depth throughout the album. Krauter and Pitchkites soar on the chorus of “Shift,” where they harmonize, “No one wants to be left alone on the weekend / gotta be a good reason because there’s no time to sit it out,” and the warmth of their voices infectiously sells the youthful abandon of the lyrics.

Even though the tone and tempos of the individual songs vary, most of the album has a common sonic template that exists in a middle space between haziness and jangle. The real exception is “Sensational,” which may be one of the standout songs of the year. Pritchkites adopts a deadpan, Charli XCX-like attitude on the first verse while backed by a powerful dance-rock stadium riff that recalls peak INXS. All the while, the rhythm section is tight and funky with occasional manic fills of unusual percussion (congas perhaps?). Truly living up to its name, the track is an indication that Wishy have another aspect to their sound that can be explored on further releases.

In addition to being a very fine album, Nature’s Pill is a great soundtrack for the beginning of fall. The warmth and comfort between the five band members of Wishy is palpable, which results in an inviting listen characterized by obvious hooks. While still early in their career, it is easy to imagine Wishy as one of the potentially great indie bands to emerge in the 2020s.

Wishy is stopping through Philadelphia with a show at First Unitarian Church on Thursday, October 15th.