Tag: Cindy Wilson Supernatural EP

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

As a founding member of The B-52s, Cindy Wilson is a pioneer of the New Wave sound that redefined rock and pop music in the late 70s through much of the 80s. And if you love the legendary Athens, GA-based outfit as much as I do, you know that Wilson has one of the most distinct, melodic voices in rock — and that she’s known for her ability to deliver powerful emotions throughout her work.

Back in 2016, the New Wave legend stepped out into the spotlight as a solo artist. Since then she has released two EPs and her full-length solo debut — Sunrise EP and Supernatural EP and Change, which saw her collaborating with electronic musicians and producers Suny Lyons and Ryan Monahan. The collaboration with Lyons and Monahan proved to be a decided sonic departure from Wilson’s best known and beloved work that also managed to stay true to Wilson’s alt rock, punk and New Wave roots: Her world famous vocals were paired with a backdrop of dreamy and ambient, dance floor friendly music. And as a result, the material subtly continues Wilson’s long-held reputation for being behind some dance floor friendly jams while establishing herself as a singular force in her own right.

Wilson’s forthcoming sophomore album Realms is slated for an August 25, 2023 through Kill Rock Stars. Realms sees the New Wave legend continuing her collaboration with Suny Lyons and features contributions from Sterling Campbell (drums) and Maria Kindt (strings). The ten-song album reportedly her most ambitious to date, with the material inviting the listener on a journey that peels back the layers of our common humanity — and digs deep into our minds and souls. Continuing upon the contemporary, electro pop of its predecessors, the new album is rooted in carefully crafted material that reveals that the New Wave legend has her fingers on the pulse of contemporary music, while being a new chapter in her already storied career.

The album’s latest single “Wait” is built around an atmospheric production featuring skittering beats, glistening synths, and euphoria-inducing hooks paired with chopped up vocal samples serving as a lush bed for Wilson’s yearning delivery. “Though I love all of the tracks on Realms, there is something special about ‘Wait,'” Wilson explained to BrooklynVegan. “Its beautiful vocal melody; abstract love song about being in the right place at the right time.”

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Cindy Wilson’s Releases a Slick Disco-Influenced New Single

Unless you’ve been living in an isolated Tibetan monastery, located in a cave you’ve likely been made familiar with the Athens, GA-based  The B-52s, who since their formation over 40 years ago by founding (and surviving members) Fred Schneider (vocals), Kate Pierson (vocals, keys), Cindy Wilson (vocals) and Keith Strickland (drums, rhythm guitar) have a long-held reputation for a sound that draws from 60s garage rock, New Wave, post-punk and dance music, complete with the guy vs. gal, call and response vocals. Copious amounts of ink have been spilled on the band throughout their run together, so it won’t be necessary to delve deeply into the band’s history; however, over the past few years, the band’s Cindy Wilson has embarked on a solo recording career that has managed to be an almost complete departure from her primary gig’s imitable and deeply influential sound. 

Earlier this year, I wrote about “Ballistic” off her Supernatural EP a single, which revealed that as a solo artist, her sound nodded at much more contemporary sources — i.e., the anthemic and trippy electro pop of Gary Numan, Tame Impala, Air and punk pop, complete with pulsating synths. And interestingly enough, much like the Supernatural EP,   Wilson’s forthcoming solo debut Change, which is slated for a November 17, 2017 through Kill Rock Stars Records was produced and engineered by PacificUV’s and Dream Boat‘s Sun Lyons, and continues her collaboration with some of Athens’ finest and most acclaimed, contemporary, young musicians — including Easter Island‘s and Monahan’s Ryan Monahan, Ola Moon’s and PacificUV’s Lemuel Hayes, and powerkompany’s Marie Davon. “Mystic,” Changes’ first single continued on a similar vibe as “Ballistic,” as “Mystic” was a icily retro-futuristic and dance floor friendly blast of synth rock/New Wave over which Wilson crooned and cooed seductively rather than her world-renowned belting and shouting from the mountains. And what makes the song compelling is that it finds the Athens, GA-based legend at her most adventurous and mischievous while being an earnest and sincere exploration of more contemporary songwriting. 

Unsurprisingly, Changes’ latest single, “No One Can Tell You” continues Wilson’s further exploration of contemporary sound and songwriting — although the album’s latest single manages to nod at 80s synth pop and early house and the neo-disco sounds of Escort, Midnight Magic and others, thanks to four-on-the-floor-like rhythms paired with layers of shimmering and propulsive arpeggio synths and ethereal yet infectious hooks. Of course much like the preceding single, the song features Wilson crooning and cooing seductively in a dance floor-friendly track.  

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: The B52s Cindy Wilson Returns with Another Sleek and Modern Synth Wave Track

Since their formation back in 1977, the Athens, GA-based  The B-52s, their founding (and surviving members) Fred Schneider (vocals), Kate Pierson (vocals, keys), Cindy Wilson (vocals) and Keith Strickland (drums, rhythm guitar) have developed a reputation for an approach that draws from 60s garage rock, New Wave, post-punk and dance music, complete with the guy vs. gal, call and response vocals. Much ink has been spilled on them, so it won’t be very necessary to delve deeply into biographical detail; however, over the past few years, Cindy Wilson has embarked on a solo recording career that has managed to be an almost complete departure from her primary gig’s imitable and influential sound; in fact, earlier this year, I wrote about “Ballistic” off her Supernatural EP a single, which revealed that as a solo artist, her sound nodded at much more contemporary sources — i.e., the anthemic and trippy electro pop of Gary Numan, Tame Impala, Air and punk pop, complete with pulsating synths.

Much like the Supernatural EP, Wilson’s forthcoming full-length, solo debut Change was produced and engineered by PacificUV’s and Dream Boat‘s Sun Lyons, and continues her collaboration with some of Athens’ finest and most acclaimed, contemporary, young musicians including Easter Island‘s and Monahan’s Ryan Monahan, Ola Moon‘s and PacificUV’s Lemuel Hayes, and powerkompany’s Marie Davon. Change’s first single “Mystic” continues on a similar vibe as “Ballistic,” as the song is an icy retro-futuristic, dance floor-friendly blast of synth rock/New Wave that features Wilson crooning and cooing seductively, rather than her world-renowned belting and shouting from the mountains. And in some way, the material finds the New Wave/post-punk legend at her most mischievous and adventurous, as she pushes her sound into a new territory — while being a sincere and earnest exploration of contemporary sound and songwriting. 

As Wilson explained to the folks at Stereogum, “‘Mystic’ was actually one of the last tracks recorded for the LP. It quickly became one of the band’s favorites and maintains its energy on the road. Lyrically, it’s about our personalities — how we’re all multi-dimensional in ways that we will never understand. We all have a hidden mystic quality if we can learn and trust to tap into that power. This song is about how we’re all trying to define ourselves and make sense of ourselves, yet there is an ineffable, indescribable quality to consciousness.” 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Since The B-52s formation in Athens, GA back in 1977, much ink has been spilled on the band, its remaining founding members Fred Schneider (vocals), Kate Pierson (vocals, keyboards), Cindy Wilson (vocals, percussion) and Keith Strickland (drums, rhythm guitar and keyboards), as well as their unique aesthetic approach which pairs routinely the guy vs. gals call and response vocals with a sound that draws from New Wave, 60s rock, pop and dance music. Interestingly, the band’s Cindy Wilson has embarked on a solo recording career over the past few years, and her solo work manages to be an almost complete departure from the primary gig’s imitable sound; in fact, as you’ll hear on her latest single “Ballistic,” off her recently released solo EP Supernatural her sound manages to nod at much more contemporary sources — i.e., the anthemic and trippy electro pop of Gary Numan, Tame Impala, Air and punk pop, complete with pulsating synths.

Produced and engineered by PacificUV’s and Dream Boat‘s Sun Lyons and backed by a some of Athens’ finest contemporary musicians —  Easter Island‘s and Monahan’s Ryan Monahan; Ola Moon‘s and PacificUV’s Lemuel Hayes; powerkompany’s Marie Davon, Wilson’s latest EP, and in turn, the new single also manages to see the New Wave legend at her most adventurous, pushing her imitable sound into a new, modern territory without being a soulless and cheesy facsimile.