BlueWander : whereabouts of freedom

I’m listening to BlueWander‘s debut knowing absolutely nothing about the band. Their email presented an indie rock band with math-rock-inspired guitar and drums, but that’s a wide description. I wonder what will BlueWander bring with whereabouts of freedom.

“Aurora” is an introduction, which sounds more like melodic rock than their own description. The two and a half minute song has a sweeping and long continued verse. It’s a clean start, but takes a while to get started.

BlueWander’s second song has a similar opening as the first, but vocals push the song. This time, “Hyangjeokbong,” is a longer dive at almost four minutes. I understand how BlueWander says they have math rock inspirations but it’s not a continual presence. In my opinion, the band leans more into a kind of indie rock shoegaze. “Hyangjeokbong” is a track that dwells and exists without a hurry. And there are recognizable verse structures, but the song sounds like one long chapter.

But by “Dawn Forest Galaxy,” I can see a system of repetition. BlueWander are very focused on a melodic presentation and can’t harness the core of shoegaze and post rock. The breakdown crescendo doesn’t exist here. The songs are so precise that there’s no inner energy leaking out from beats. “Dawn Forest Galaxy” is a perfectly crafted song that follows a pre-described path.

“Recollection” is a shorter instrumental interlude that, again, follows the same general structure. I would want something surprising, but I feel like I’ve heard everything BlueWander is going to show me.

“Anvil Cloud” has a little more variety but has the same trap as previous tracks. It’s too comfortable and I don’t hear any tension. “Anvil Cloud” is an easy walk with a nice breeze and comfortable temperature. I feel perfectly fine listening to it, but it doesn’t have staying power.

whereabouts of freedom’s last song, “Bright Blue,” is the most interesting but comes too late. It has a varied rhythm and more attitude. The change is welcome. But at the same time, I wonder if the mixing and mastering on the EP stripped some of the band’s color away. Overall, the sound is too polished and produced. Almost sanitized.

BlueWander is a strong set of musicians who compose well. What’s missing is the underlying energy and purpose of the songs. If BlueWander wanted to go indie pop rock that’s fine or if they wanted to dive into indie rock shoegaze, no problem either. Right now, these six songs present a band that’s balanced right in the center and it’s hard to stay focused.