ALBUM REVIEW: Eerie Wanda – Internal Radio
Nowadays, psychedelic music is all everywhere. Whilst there are many bands that are drawing inspiration from ‘60s music, there are few who stand the test of originality. Holland’s very own Eerie Wanda, consisting of singer-songwriter Marina Tadic have just released their third album Internal Radio. Eerie Wanda is no exception to the given fact that I mentioned before. Their brand new release is being put to the test of psych-revival.
On opener Sail to the Silver Sun, the mood for the rest of the record is set immediately. The melodically surprising track lingers nicely, and when it gets to the chorus a very surprising element is introduced. The lead vocals are doubled with a reversed vocal track, which gives a strange, though very cool, effect. Production-wise, the reverberated female vocals tend to sound a little bit soft, while the bass and lead guitars are clearly present in the foreground. The drums sound muffled and dry, which puts them in place perfectly. The sound of the record pretty much remains this way all the way through.
The listening experience continues with Nowx1000, a song which is more upbeat than the opening track. The rhythmic section, consisting of hand claps and tambourines, invites the listener to nod their heads a bit more than the first song does. Long Time is a surprising song, which contains some very experimental, almost off-sounding melodies. They lead to the track On Heaven. After a slow, but cleverly planned opening to Internal Radio, it’s On Heaven which really opens up the LP.
Whilst Confess is mostly accompanied by strummed electric guitars, plucked basses and simple rhythms, there seems to be some room for variation on Nightwalk. A bossanova-like rhythm, surrounded by beautiful finger-picked guitars, makes this track stand out most on this record, even more than On Heaven did. About halfway through the record, Someone’s in My House makes for an extremely danceable track, which is something the record really needed.
Reflecting the sound of Hank Marvin (The Shadows) are the electric guitars on Sister Take My Hand, which sound absolutely gorgeous and are a treat to listen to. It’s also this very song which, for the first time, introduces some acoustic guitars to Internal Radio. Through the grooving and exciting percussive parts on Birds Aren’t Real, the album moves on to an almost totally stripped down Puzzled and the minimalistic Bon Voyage close the record with the help of an applauding audience.
Eerie Wanda’s psychedelic pop definitely points itself towards a specific audience. A few exceptions aside, the songs on Internal Radio are slow, and at times even tend to be a little dull. That, however, is not a bad thing. The music certainly hits the spot when it comes to making a point. A point that, in my opinion, is all about taking influences from back in the day to a new level and reaching a specific and dedicated audience.
Internal Radio is OUT NOW!
