Art-pop quartet The Wands Collective enthrall throughout their debut album Four Corner Circle, a genre-defying success that takes inspiration from various cultures and styles — from memorable Latin and Caribbean rhythms to riveting Slavic melodies and heady jazz improvisations. Comprising artists from Colombia, the UK, Barbados and the United States, the project embraces the ethos that music transcends borders, cultures, languages, and time zones; their music captivates with a wonderfully unpredictable and tonally eclectic immersion.
The project’s debut track, “Fairies” opens the album with a bubbly synth-forward momentum. Spacey synth layers intermingle with playful lushness, as a jazz-touched percussive spaciousness lingers underneath. “If you want to meet the fairies…” a vocal intrigue beckons thereafter, remarking “they have wings and they have sparkles” as smooth saxophone eases in seamlessly. The fantasy-like lyricism pairs with a mixture of electro-pop hypnotics and brass-laden art-pop for a fantastic kick-off to Four Corner Circle. The ensuing “Yagadish” continues to showcase a dynamic tonal range, moving from a lush first half to a vibrant procession of expressive vocals, colorful rhythms, and frolicking orchestration.
Another standout track, “Kometa” unfolds with a more eerie disposition. Wordless vocals conjure an unsettling mystique as sporadic rhythmic ruminations interject, culminating in gorgeous saxophone work and a vocal sharpness at mid-point; it’s another display of fusing jazzy sophistication with gripping art-pop mystery. The bustling jazzy flair of “Birds For Leaves” showcases a brighter atmospheric realm, while album finale “Te Amo” combines synths, saxophone, and steady rhythmic charm into an invigorating vocal presence, spanning from debonair composure to ardent soaring. Four Corner Circle is an enjoyably melodic and variety-filled success from The Wands Collective.
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We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
