Earlier this month, Portsmouth based female artist Wyse released her second EP “Anomalies”, a short collection of songs but one that packs in combined elements of alternative rock, dreampop and electronic rock. Full of unexpected twists and turns, “Anomalies” further crafts Wyse’s sound giving listeners an intriguing taste of what’s to come.
“Anomalies” kicks off with the energetic and confident opening track “Not That Sorry”, Wyse’s most streamed song and for good reason. Punchy electric guitar riffs and bold lyrics give “Not That Sorry” the feel of being the soundtrack of a rebellious movie protagonist whilst maintaining Wyse’s ethereal energy with a more spacey sounding chorus filled with synth sounds and echoing vocals. The two are blended beautifully.
The following track “Drown” shows a more sensitive side to Wyse. Lyrically more vulnerable with some beautiful vocal melodies flowing throughout, this is accompanied by quite a change of pace between the verse and chorus of the song which jumps from a slow dance beat and long, dragging vocals to a bursting acoustic chorus. Whilst this positively shows a lack of fear to experiment, arguably this transition could have been executed more smoothly to give the track a more cohesive feel as demonstrated in “Not That Sorry”.
“Wisdom”, the third track once again showcases Wyse’s bold pace change in her music. Starting off as an elegant dreampop tune it is then pierced with explosive guitar matching the frustration of Wyse’s lyrics as the song progresses. Whilst this pace change feels more natural than the one in the previous track there are still moments on this track in which the change in instrumentation and rhythm don’t blend together as seamlessly as they could. Still, the track is bold and dramatic once again showing another side to Wyse as an artist.
The closing track “Hologram” is much more coordinated and coherent. The tense guitar and ominous sounding beat coupled with Wyse’s high-pitched vocals create a sense of desperation and urgency that is completely opposed to the not a care in the world energy of the opening track “Not That Sorry” showing Wyse is capable of reflecting different emotions in her music and over a short collection of songs.
Overall, “Anomalies” is a strong EP demonstrating Wyse’s growth as an artist in creating a signature sound for herself. Whilst some of the songs could be more cohesively delivered Wyse’s confidence to experiment and push boundaries is an exciting skill for a developing artist to have chosen to focus on and leaves lots of room for positive progress.