Magenta by West Wickhams: Review

by Gabe Finch January 4, 2023

January 4, 2023

Magenta by West Wickhams: Review

West Wickhams’ latest EP release, ‘Magenta,’ puts their distinct combination of punk and grunge front and center. It’s a compilation of tunes and sentiments that breed anguish and mass as they barrel through dreary hallways of warm color, trailed by a swarm of eager admirers. Their sounds are real, honest, human, and borne of their vulnerability. It provides a delightful balance throughout the playthrough, with one part of the instrumentation and the lyrics supporting the other.

The EP is an experience of a new level of being, a psychedelic voyage through a transcendental soundscape filled with wistful haze, whimsical mist, and a haunting lilt in the cinematic atmosphere. From the beginning, ‘Swear Above Suspicion’, you are cast adrift on a glittering sonic river wrapped in a warm blanket, and this continues through ‘This Is A Hang Up’, ‘Even The Heathers Ask Why’. Nonetheless, despite the constancy of a psychedelic haze, West Wickhams’ foggy approach is diverse. ‘Even The Heathers Ask Why’ has a more assertive, almost indie-rock vibe to it. ‘The Sentinels,’ for example, has a gothic roughness in ‘Magenta’.

The tunes have a nostalgic feel, reminiscent of the synth-pop sounds of the 1980s, yet there is a hint of modern-day bedroom pop beneath the exquisite arrangements. Interestingly, while the entire EP is brimming with melancholy, the record also has lighter and more upbeat pieces.