Wings Of Desire - Rough Trade, Bristol, 21st February 2024

Photo by Holly Whitaker

‘Dream pop’ is a malleable concept really. When reviewers or writers attach the moniker to a band, the listener knows broadly what to expect: fuzzy, ethereal, hazy songs where the arrangement is second to the sonics, and it can feel – in truth – a bit rudderless.

Not so for Stroud duo Wings Of Desire who, it’s fair to say, do drench their music in reverb and echo, but singer James Taylor is possessed with a demonstrable sense of purpose that cuts right through. Tonight’s (February 21st) show, the first of the tour (and their longest to date, as Chloe Little – on keys and the other half of the band – informs us) feels very much like a marker being laid down.

Opener ‘Runnin’’ lulls the crowd into believing otherwise with a slow build-up before waves of cleansing synths and guitar envelope the venue, Taylor’s incandescent cry of, ‘Come on baby, give me a hand’, adding to the sense of catharsis.

Excellent early single ‘Choose A Life’ (‘choose a life, find a job, get a wife, fuck it all’) follows, the sound of teenage dreams told from an adult’s perspective with Taylor and Little winding around the catchy chorus in conjunction.

https://www.live4ever.uk.com/review-wings-of-desire-bristol/