Dream Wife – Album Review

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[Written By: Katie Fannin]

‘Dream Wife’ is the eagerly awaited self-titled first album from the Icelandic-Brightonian pop punk three-piece. Formed during art school in Brighton, the band have already made a name for themselves supporting a cavalcade of big names on tour and securing a slot at the infamous SXSW last year.

The band’s name is the first hint of their feminist roots. Based on a 1953 film of the same name, the trio make reference to – and reclaim – the cultural trope common in the 1950s of the “ideal wife”: a clear statement from the outset that they are not cool with patriarchal oppression. This album only consolidates those roots. Laced with hard-hitting, blunt feminist messages, the eleven punk-infused tracks paint a picture of empowerment and anger at the status quo.

From the opening screams of ‘Let’s Make Out’ to the angry, sweary ‘F.U.U.’, the record is an energetic, grunge-y, riff-packed experience with exactly the kind of DIY feel you would expect from a group of friends from university making music together. The powerful guitar and bass from band members Alice Go and Bella Podpadec are accompanied by expressive lyrics from vocalist Rakel Mjöll. Loud, shouty tracks like ‘Hey Heartbreaker’ emit unquestionable Bikini Kill/riot grrrl vibes whilst tunes like the album’s second track ‘Somebody’ combine softer vocals with equally poignant lyrics – “I am not my body / I am somebody.”

At a time of Me Too campaigns and dreary outlooks for the year ahead politically, people are angry. If we need more of only one thing in the world, it is music like Dream Wife’s; equally angry, but also empowering and overtly political.

Rating: 5/5

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