Wunder Wunder - Everything Infinite
Soaked in mixtape nostalgia and bleached by Cali sun, Everything Infinite is the forthcoming album of Australian dream-pop duo Wunder Wunder. Producers Aaron Shanahan and Benjamin Plant collaborate on their debut record not only with each other, but with the changing tides of Los Angeles suburban dreamscape. Having abandoned their native Melbourne, Australia, the pair’s contentment with palm tree littered skies and idyllic horizons bleeds through much of their music; Wunder Wunder explores LA summer life with fresh eyes.
Nostalgia forms the cornerstone of the album as each track dips some distance down memory lane. Amidst poppy synths and progressive psychedelia borrowed from the 60s, Wunder Wunder’s vocals flit across time zones in their star-spangled exploration of teenage heartache, the fearlessness of youth and enjoyments of the past. Each dreamlike reverie epitomises the surrealist vibe that engulfs America’s West Coast; it is a land of paradise where anything goes and, apparently, all your dreams come true. Shanahan and Plant’s wonder and imagination at their newly adopted LA forms the foundation of their music; it sounds not unlike their 5 year old selves in a giant playground, and it is a pleasure to listen to.
The dream-pop genre that defines Everything Infinite faintly echoes the transient 60s era of music, mixing kaleidoscopic arpeggios with breezy vocals and xylophonic strikes here, there and everywhere. The effect is an upbeat yet laidback atmosphere - the very charm of the Wunder Wunder boys’ sound. Pioneering this sentiment is the debut single of the album, ‘Coastline’, the breezy Cali summer anthem laced with the same lazy oohs and shimmering chords that adorn much of the LP. The duo up the funk with ‘Hail the Madmen’, which showcases intersecting synths and multi-coloured psych-pop melodies, leaving you feeling utterly star-struck and completely Californian. ‘Midnight Hours’ slows down the pace and documents stolen hours with a loved one through low oohs and aahs, which zone in and out of retro psychedelia. Wunder Wunder manages to truly pull you into another world, one soaked in sea, sun and reminiscence.
Whilst describing the creation of the album’s third track, ‘Everything Infinite’, Shanahan remarks “[It] came to me all in one night. I was on a train from Orange County and I imagined a song opening up with one chord and morphing into several forms of colour”. It is this variegated, harlequin style that cements the infinite horizon of Wunder Wunder’s success. Their aim, to create “a project of positivity, dreaming, exploration and connection” with their music is, too, a rainbow of pure, positive ambition destined for victory.
Everything Infinite is released on this July 15th through Dovecote Records.
Words - Claudia Turnbull
