'Oh Wonder' by Oh Wonder – Review

I rarely buy albums. I’m not sure whether this is because I am simply stingy, or I am so fussy that I rarely like more than a few of an artist’s songs.
Whatever the reason, UK duo Oh Wonder‘s self-titled album changed this. I first heard of them early last year on Triple J. A few months later, in September 2015, they released their debut album, and I’ve been smitten ever since.
Based in London, Josephine Vander Gucht and Anthony West have produced a sound that is in turns synthpop, electropop and alternative pop. While Vander Gucht is the main vocalist, West comes in frequently, with beautiful accompaniments and harmonies.
While all 15 tracks have a similar sound, that does not mean they all sound the same. Each track manages to stand out. This may be at least in part due to the fact that the duo have stated that the album was never conceived as a whole, but as individual tracks that then came together later on.
On top of a soft, dreamy sound, the tracks have lovely lyrics, invoking emotion in all its forms, and themes such as nature.
The track entitled ‘Heart Hope‘ explores optimism and the need for one’s sense of inner peace and strength, with lyrics such as: “Cause I need something more than everything / A higher self deep within”.
In contrast, ‘All We Do‘ is much sadder in tone, with extremely melancholy lyrics: “All I did was fail today / All I wanna be is whites and waves / All I did was fail today / All we do, all we do”.
Another stand out track is ‘Livewire‘, a joyful song about love and passion: “Oh won’t you be my livewire? / Make me feel like I’m set on fire / Your love will take me higher and higher / Oh won’t you be my livewire, livewire?”
The smooth sound that Oh Wonder exudes, creates a mellow vibe that just washes over you. Its perfect for listening in the car or at home, as something to unwind to or just get lost in. For a debut album Oh Wonder is definitely worth buying.
By Helena Game