The spirit of the Clinton years lives on in the music of Wishy. On the group's new EP, the crunchy semi-shoegaze-inspired numbers all sound like things I'd have heard on Modern Rock radio in 1996. Even the title -- Planet Popstar -- smacks of an era when groups in flannel with mannered Attitude were desperate for some of that Nirvana money.
"Fly" opens things with a languid ramble, while the title cut has a nice riff at the center of the tune. The breathy vocals of Nina Pitchkites pair well with those of Kevin Krauter, even on something as painfully MOR as "Over and Over" here. A misguided drum pattern places this firmly in the past, enough that one wonders why the band is so enamored of the trappings of another time. Like some other cuts here, this one has a nice enough hook, but when buried under vocal effects and drum patterns, it's almost not worth the search.
Planet Popstar is fine enough for those who sort of miss alt-rockers from the mid-Nineties or so. Nothing here is really hate-able, though little is going to inspire a lot of excitement. Fans of Kevin Krauter's other projects may find something here of interest, of course.
Planet Popstar by Wishy is out on April 25.
[Photo: Athena Merry]