Album Review: Dream Wife - 'So When You Gonna…'
London-based trio Dream Wife share highly anticipated sophomore album ‘So When You Gonna…’ – “an invitation, a challenge, a call to action.”
If you’re all about girls to the front, this is an album for you. Dream Wife makes themselves heard and they’re not holding back. On eleven multi-faceted tracks they tackle a multitude of hard-hitting topics from gender equality to abortion.
Opening- and closing tracks build the perfect framework for an album that thrills with an eclectic sound. Where ‘Sports!’ is loud and unafraid with roaring vocals that demand attention, ‘After The Rain’ is soft-spoken and emotive. A tender piano ballad advocating pro choice - “It’s my body and my right, not for others to decide.” Dream Wife’s poignant lyricism is a recurring theme on the record - unapologetically vocal from start to finish - most prominently on title track ‘So When You Gonna’ that in one quick swoop debunks any myth of women having to be quiet and hold back their desires in a way that is so wonderfully witty and direct, you can’t help but fall in love: “Alright, I guess I just have to spell it out for you then: When are you gonna kiss me?”
Sonically, Dream Wife effortlessly switches between bright, playful melodies, radio ready hooks and punchy guitars dripping in confidence. Whether you’re a fan of riot grrrl or indie anthems, the album packs something for every taste. Get you a band that can do both and you’ll never feel like you’re missing out.
‘So When You Gonna’ is exciting, enticing and extremely of the moment. A sophomore record for the history books, not least because it captures the current climate of stop waiting and start doing.
Words by Laura Freyaldenhoven