Wave Machines: Wave If You're Really There

In an almost comedic and uncanny resemblance to their name, Wave Machines debut record 'Wave If You're Really There' resembles the behaviour of a wave almost flawlessly.

It peaks at great heights, breaks at the lowest point, folds back in on itself and crashes time and time again in a confused, uncertain mash-up of the mildly impressive and the ultimately forgetful.

You Say The Stupidest Things is almost indescribable in sound and we still can't make out whether we love or hate it. It's plastered with lyrics that almost seem nonsensical and they're delivered in an odd, stringed sentence devoid of audible punctuation and structure. The music is simplistic and repetitive in it's melody but it's also difficult to turn off. There's just something utterly enjoyable about witnessing the strange, unique feel of both the music and the vocals, regardless of how shallow it actually is.

Nothing really shines as brightly as the aforementioned track and instead, the majority of the remaining material opts for a breezier, more conventional sound. It's applaudable in it's appeal but it's almost laughably dismissive in sound. I Go I Go I Go hurts the soul and sounds positively dying to be thrown behind the latest Toyota Aygo advert. It's annoying and repulsive in most ways and highlights the low's this record sometimes hits.

When they're taking tips from the bigger, better bands in their field of music (basically Hot Chip and a smidgen of Passion Pit) they sound a little less cliché but it still isn't exactly riveting stuff and adds nothing palpable to their overall persona. We know it's an easy thing to say about a record but it really does seem rushed and it suffers terribly because of it. There's no thought to immersion and easing the listener in, instead it's just ten mediocre songs forced awkwardly together and then distributed to the public without as much as a blink.

We know it's only a debut and maybe these words are a little harsh (and it's true that we're actually impressed with the overall production work) but it really seems like they should concentrate more on what they themselves want to do instead of what they think others want, especially so early on in their career. 

It's frustrating too because they've got tons of untouched potential lurking just underneath their confused exteriors and every now and again you can catch brief glimpses of what they could achieve. Punk Spirit is derivative but it's a welcomed diversity in the bands struggling material. The Greatest Escape We Ever Made takes one idea a little too far and whilst it conjures enough melody to keep the attention, its again tainted by it's uninventive 'we've-been-here-before' atmosphere. Still, they're more gratifying than what surrounds them.

Wave Machines seem almost like a panicked deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming truck. Unsure of what to do or where to go, they instead stand stock still, staring directly into an easily avoidable problem but refusing to budge. They seem continuously indecisive as to what they want their music to portray and only truly sounding comfortable when replicating other, superior artists. 

They may be waving, but we are most certainly not there.