Since their formation, the Sorocaba, São Paulo, Brazil-based psych rock act WRY — Mario Bross (vocals, guitar), Luciano Marcello (guitar), Ítalo Ribero (drums) and William Leonotti (bass) — have been at the forefront of Brazil’s indie rock scene, releasing six full-length albums that have firmly established their sound, a sound that meshes elements of Brit Pop, shoegaze and post-punk with a distinctly Brazilian vibe.
After spending a stint living and working in London, the Brazilian psych rockers achieved a growing international profile, which resulted in several tours across the UK and European Union, including making the rounds of the major European festival circuit, with a notable stop at Barcelona’s Primavera Sound. Additionally. along with their recorded output, the band owns a popular club, which has frequently hosted their internationally acclaimed countrymen and friends, JOVM mainstays Boogarins.
WRY’s sixth album, last year’s Noites Infinitas thematically touched upon anxiety, despair and unconventional paths towards hope while living in our incredibly fractious and divisive world. And if you’ve been frequenting this site over the past year, you may recall that I’ve personally written about two of the album’s singles:
“Travel:” Brit Pop-like single centered around a motorik groove and a rousingly anthemic hook.
“I feel invisible:” a shimmering New Wave meets shoegaze-like track featuring shimmering guitars fed through reverb and delay pedals that captures a narrator, who’s been oppressed and hemmed in by a society that won’t allow him to live his life in a truthful fashion.
Of course, much like countless acts across the globe, the pandemic has put the band’s plans to tour to support their latest album on indefinite hiatus — but earlier this year, they played a career spanning live-streamed set for this year’s (virtual) Febre Festival. Continuing to be busy and productive, the members of the band recently performed their brilliant Noites Infinitas in its entirety at their studio Deaf Haus. While featuring slightly looser versions of the album’s material, the live session reveals a band that crafted an album full of ambitious arena rock friendly yet earnest, heart worn on sleeve anthems that seemingly come from lived-in experience.
