By Hannah Reid
I’ve spent a good part of this year reviewing bands and music I’ve not heard of but very quickly grow to enjoy and add into my playlists – and this is another group that falls into this category. Wilmette are an upcoming band from Chicago who combine pop-punk with twists of post hardcore that come together in a fresh new style that you can’t help but fall in love with. For this self-titled EP, the band saw themselves teaming up with a producer Seth Henderson, who is known for some great music with pop-punk bands Knuckle Puck and Real Friends, so you’re instantly expecting great things to come…
We kick things off with ‘Show and Tell’ which jumps in with punchy lyrics and a fast beat for that initial hook, and then throughout the song we have gentle moments which creep in and build up to a bigger moment. It tails off a little near the end of the song, going in the complete opposite direction from the beginning, which was hard hitting and full of energy, to just very soft. It’s a good song, but personally I’m unsure if I would have put it as the opening song for the EP
‘Adderall’ is the next one and hits with those instantly recognisable pop-punk elements that people love so much. It’s fast, punchy and has that beat and lyrics that makes you want to sing and jump along – basically the thing you want, especially for playing live. Continuing with a kick is ‘Close Enough To Closure’ which I think has the energy to be the opening track on this EP because of how full of energy the song is – it hypes you up and is really fun to listen along to. Just before the final chorus there’s a really nice musical break before a gentle synth voice comes in and sings the chorus in order to hype it up one final time.
‘Rancho Cucamonga’ is the song on the EP that sticks out the most vocally to me just because I think the lyrics and vocals hit a lot harder and different to what I heard before. I really enjoyed this song and how it all came together – the vocals being just that bit harder and just full of raw emotion really make it stand out. This was my personal favourite because of this on the EP and I found myself listening to it repeatedly.
‘Alchemy’ is one of those songs that you can’t help but not like from the get-go. It has some angsty lyrics, fantastic guitar melodies and is just full of energy. It’s that typical kind of pop-punk song that just pulls you in with how catchy and upbeat it is, and just puts you in a good mood. The final track is ‘All You Are Is All You’ll Ever Be’ and we continue the kind of feel from ‘Alchemy’. The band are very good at building up these moments within songs and having lots of hooks that bring you into the songs, and makes you listen out for what would happen next. They’re a little unpredictable and that’s what makes their songs different. In some instances where you think there might be a really hard drop, a softer, more flowy one will come in and take you on a journey.
I really enjoyed listening to the EP and seeing the journey the band were taking throughout the songs, and how they were creating their own narrative. They’re combining classic elements of pop-punk but constantly adding their own twists and turns in order to keep themselves on top of their game, and I think everyone who listens to them would appreciate that.
- ‘Wilmette’ is out now. You can get your copy, and loads of other band goodies, HERE.
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