Has shoegaze ever been this popular? Slowdive are TikTok favorites. Duster out-stream pop acts. This year alone, publications hailed the ever-growing presence of shoegaze’s signature gauzy tinge as a full-on revival. It’s no longer the soundtrack for introverted kids with bangs. It’s not a niche sub-genre anymore. The heavy, monolithic sounds of shoegaze are a defining trait of the current indie rock zeitgeist. Enter Wishy, the Indianapolis duo of Kevin Krauter and Nina Pitchkites who debuted this year with an EP in June. But Paradise, their second EP of 2023, is a clearer vision of Wishy’s crossover capabilities. It shows off the duo’s breadth, from down-the-line shoegaze to early aughts alt-rock sing-alongs. Call it shoegaze if you must, but Paradise hints at the band’s wider ambitions. They’re building the groundwork for their takeover.
Wishy spend most of the EP perfecting their textures. They flip through different flavors of hazy, dusty guitars depending on what branch of ‘90s indie rock they’re exploring. For the beachy “Paradise,” they opt for a college rock jangle. Krauter and Pitchkites’ vocals constantly blend into one whisper, a single voice that floats in and out of the layers. “Donut” and “Too True” have more heft and grit, but they never spiral too far into shoegaze’s chaotic potential. Even when they bend pitches and stack growling guitars, Wishy keep things restrained. These aren’t spacey and amorphic slow-burns, these are pop tracks seasoned with the spice of a good guitar pedal.
Wishy’s pop instincts are the center of Paradise. “Blank Time” locks into a shiny, slinking chorus. “I know the reason/I know the reason,” Krauter repeats with a strut. Its drum machine is sharp and quick, a jolt in an otherwise leisurely project. The anthemic “Spinning” is ready to soundtrack a teen coming-of-age movie. “Spinning around on the kitchen floor/I didn’t think I could dance anymore,” Pitchkites soars over the chorus. She conjures the feeling of late ‘90s or early 2000s nostalgia without any of the cheese or tired tropes.
There’s more groove and less crackle compared to their shoegaze-revivalist contemporaries like Hotline TNT and feeble little horse. Wishy recorded Paradise in LA with Ben Lumsdaine, who produced and engineered Durand Jones’ >em>Wait Til I Get Over. Despite their Indianapolis roots, the EP sparkles with California gloss: dreamy and bright. Like any band’s early EP, Paradise still feels like a teaser. Wishy are trying on hats: My Bloody Valentine influences here, C86 and twee elsewhere. Indie rock at the end of 2023 is chock-full of major seventh chords and open guitar tunings, the hallmarks of shoegaze. With their approachable takes on those hallmarks, Wishy are primed to meet the moment.
Andy Steiner is a writer and musician. When he’s not reviewing albums, you can find him collecting ‘80s Rush merchandise. Follow him on Instagram or Twitter.
