Few bands excite me the way Total Wife does. Their latest release, heatwave, does nothing but confirm that excitement is warranted.
The EP has three compositions available digitally (with a fourth exclusive track if you buy the cassette) and they serve as an excellent introduction to the band if you’re unfamiliar. “heatwave I” is an immersive wall of shoegaze that ticks the boxes for the genre but isn’t rote in its execution, it’s filled with plenty of distinctly Total Wife flavor. “heatwave II” is a deceptive ballad that manages to both explode and decompose simultaneously. If that sounds impossible, give it a listen and you’ll confirm my findings. Closing track, “heatwave III”, is more evidence that you can’t predict where Total Wife will take you. The track is carried by hush vocals and swirling guitars building to an apex but it abruptly recedes and leaves you wanting more.
If you’ve never seen Total Wife live, get yourself to The Basement on December 7th. They’re as loud as you’d hope they’d be and still execute on all the flourishes tucked away in their recordings.