superWAV Defies the Norm on aTYPICAL EP
By Deuce
superWAV is anything but typical on its latest Extended Player, aTYPICAL. The spelling of the band’s name, the name itself, and the spelling of this collection of cuts indicates as much. Moreover, the project consists of 5 tunes and, for a group that’s heavily reliant on electric guitars, there’s more ballads than there are upbeat numbers.
Speaking of that guitar playing, though, this two-person band puts it down on that strident stringed instrument especially noticeably on “The Warrior”. Sure, the bass, heady and heavy as it is, is tightly coupled with it, riding ever underneath the wondrous wailing of its higher counterpart. But the guitar sounds tubed in parts, rides along to an easy tempo and drum pattern for the majority of the work, and is evocative in pregnant, precious moments.
This number would do well in any array of major motion pictures, particularly in the parts when lovers leave, visions are unfulfilled, and there’s nothing left to do but stare…and, perhaps, step. “Emotions are a minefield,” vocalist Anne Wichmann quips. “Dangerous to yield”. Her runs, as it were, when hitting the upper stratosphere of high notes are captivating, and are so for the duration of the affair, not just on this cut.
That sentiment certainly applies to “The Magician”, the grand finale and the closest the duo come to perfection on the release. The electric guitar, masterminded by Volker Wichmann, is deliberately distant, almost forlorn at the top of the number, setting the stage for the Anne’s singing. Suddenly, perhaps 30 seconds or so into the tune, all that plaintive guitar playing surges to the foreground with a prevalent, in-your-face appeal that’s a welcome contrast and certainly compels the listener’s attention. The bass (which is likely attributed to Anne, AKA She’s Excited!, who’s credited with the vocals and programming) is eminent, to the point that it seems to drown the drums. Nonetheless, this is the third and final ballad of the outing, moving in place at a curiously lackadaisical pace, while Anne’s high notes float over and beyond that trill guitar.
Abruptly, less than two minutes into the song, they cut it, the cut’s completed, and so is the rest of the EP. ‘Tis a memorable way to end things, while evincing the tremendous potential of this pair.
