Wisp - 'Once Then We'll Be Free'
‘Once Then We'll Be Free’ latches on and refuses to let go. So turn it up...
After "Your Face" (Wisp's first single) amassed millions of streams, she's garnered quite the cult following. It seems she's tapped into the current shoegaze/slowcore obsession, where young fans are re-discovering Duster and American Football. Wisp's music sits more in the Deftones/My Bloody Valentine camp, with lo-fi and atmospheric vocals that are reminiscent of Grouper. The sound is all-consuming, it begs to be turned up to ear-shattering levels.
"Once Then We'll Be Free" is about falling recklessly in love, giving in to the potential for pain. The message is succinct, as are the lyrics: "I'll find you in these waters, so reach your arm out to me / I promise it'll end soon, once then we'll be free".
The whole song leans on fairly limited material and simple instrumentation but leaves nothing to be desired. The guitars are hefty but remain open and bright, keeping the track from drifting into a dirge. The drums too remain fairly clean and punchy. It's as if the vocals occupy all the... dustiness of "Once Then We'll Be Free" - the warm, whispered tones phase in and out of the foreground. In the outro, the lyrics are almost entirely indiscernible. The voice becomes another instrument in the arrangement; an ambient, wistful texture yearning in the background.
At only 19 years old, Wisp is already carving out a niche for her music in a genre that slots into our current times like a puzzle-piece. Her music, I'm sure, will bring more ears to the past greats of shoegaze, slowcore and nu-metal. As for the future, it's in good hands.
Words by Joe Boon
