It’s an easy thing to get lost in MammaBear’s infectious, fuzz-laden attack. New single “Wish I” is, above all, an energetic stomper delivered with the sort of raucous intensity that demands scream-along participation at live shows (remember those?). It’s familiar territory for Kyle Gordon and company, and yet, no matter how many rowdy corkers they unleash, you can’t help but surrender to the storm. A good hook can hit you like a rush of bracing water, and MammaBear always seem to carry a spare bucket or two.
But if you can snap out of your trance and stop air-guitaring for just a moment, you’ll hear something a bit different happening this time around. Whereas so many of the group’s past efforts have been steeped in catharsis and release, “Wish I” is more reflective in its lyrical approach. Given the directness of the opening lines, it’s no mystery the track was inspired by the pandemic and the aura of tragedy and uncertainty that has since engulfed the world. “Wish I could say everything is okay,” Gordon laments on the rousing chorus, his admission of doubt and unease serving as a cautionary bulwark against the track’s roaring riffs. All in all, it’s another glorious ripper from MammaBear, one that confronts the harsh social realities COVID-19 has both created and exposed.
Commenting on the inspiration behind the new single, Gordon says, “With the world spinning out of control due to COVID-19, the great social injustices experienced by people of color, the tightening of social media’s control of us; with the severe isolation people were experiencing, and fear of economic uncertainty, ‘Wish I’ examines the world of 2020, trying to glean understanding for tomorrow.”
Listen below.
“Wish I” is out Mon., Feb. 15 on all streaming platforms.
More Info
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