In an era where most listeners strive for difference instead of a downright basic melody, Indianapolis quintet Wishy unleash a sound that pulsates with electrifying energy and raw emotion while maintaining Midwest appeal on their debut album, ‘Triple Seven.’

Stream: ‘Triple Seven’ – Wishy

Enduring the stress of making yourself noticed in the indie rock community that most upcoming bands tend to strive for, the mainstream groups or solo artists continue to rely on the repercussions of multiple attempts to catch that significant big break in the significantly saturated world… What do you do? Find a new riff? Different vocals? Indianapolis’ Wishy don’t even have to answer those questions. Through pure companionship and collaboration, Wishy as a band create an experience that makes you feel connected and a part of their journey as a whole through their debut album, Triple Seven (released August 16, 2024 via Winspear).

Abruptly, with no contention, the album pours into lushness. “Sick Sweet” is the ultimate opening track into the Wishy world. It reflects the image that they are not your average congregation of musicians but a pretty damn big band. Passionate licks force the sense of gambling it all or throwing your chips toward the middle of the table, letting the universe make its own decision. Taking control to the belief that everything will work out, but the beauty of risk; you will never know the outcome, even if you think you do.

“Guess I just spent my wishes, can I get a just a few more to set aside?”

Wishy was kismet. Nina Pitchkites and Kevin Krauter formed the band after long run-ins with each other across solo projects and ended up meshing like velcro. The duo from Indianapolis captured their essence within each other through similar tastes in music, which vary from dream-pop to the sub-genre shoegaze. Both knowing the future was ahead of them, adding Dimitri Morros as an additional guitar, Mitch Collins on bass, and Conner Host on drums make the articulated auditory experience explosive. Again, kismet. Encompassing all members, they understand how the individual instrument plays a role, even in a blanket of noise.

Triple Seven floats effortlessly, with each track interpreting and introducing a new scene of a generic romantic comedy or the flop of a mid-2000s moody teen movie, but it finally makes sense.

Nina Pitchkites voice loans itself as an accessible hug towards the rest of the record. The title track, “Triple Seven,” represents itself as a breather, and realization that those crushes rotting our minds are daydreams worth noting but not losing sleep over. Is it love? Is it real? As it transfers, we end the loveless scene; it beckons the sounds of betrayal, with a faster beat that induces badgering nervousness about what will happen next while “Persuasion” plays out, especially with the “ow ow.” This is where you can tell Kevin Krauter, a long-time musician and music teacher who helped push this band to new heights, stands out. It is commanding but understanding.

Once you think you have another break, Wishy slams into what they understand: pure guitar bliss. “Game” feels like a bridge between all other songs on this album because Kevin’s voice subtly punctures across mediocre guitar riffs that are more gentle, yet they shoot off fireworks through your arms and fire off in the air at the end and scream, “Make me crazy when play like that.”

We’ve Got a Winner: Wishy Score Big With “Love on the Outside”

:: REVIEW ::

“Love on the Outside” and “Little While” show the diverseness of what this not-so-small band can accomplish, which is a wall of sound. The term shoegaze is thrown around so frequently these days; what even is shoegaze? All that can be determined is that Wishy masters the fuzziness and ethereal vocals of what the shoegaze genre defines.

The guitar pedals are on full blast as the album comes to a close with a ’90s club-rock beat, “Busted,” and it is clear that Wishy’s influences come from several different influences like Third Eye Blind and even Rilo Kiley. Yet, we are reminded of why Wishy exists, which is the last two tracks.

“Honey” is a feat: The entire track fabricates what we are joyous for in modern rock and want out of a small-town band. Bouncing up and down to pure happiness and screaming the lyrics we barely know. The feeling of throwing your hands up and not realizing you are only doing it out of pure joy. It channels a particular determination towards the entire album, like a title track that should have been.

On the other end, “Spit” closes out the album, and it spirals back into the late-’90s string-bending nu-metal scene that feels like your parents suck and rebelling against the current presidency. Anarchy is absolute but sweet. A verified way of head-banging your way to the front of the pit to receive as much thoughtless energy as possible.

Wishy are big-big and will continue to grow, but they emerged from the scene with a determination and heart we do not often see these days. Triple Seven is the beginning of their illustrious future and gambling in the correct manner.

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