The Wends - “What a Heart is For”

SXSW 2023 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 1

Pairs Well With…R.E.M., The Walkmen, The National

Some of the best power pop on the SXSW roster this year, The Wends’ debut record It’s Here Where You Fall sounds like a CD that hasn’t left the five-disc changer in months. Balancing melancholy and passion, the record’s seven songs are built on tight, arpeggiated guitar lines and warm indie rock. What’s impressive is the catchiness that The Wends find within this genre, crafting songs that could have been alt-rock, radio singles thirty years back. Imaginably the comparison to R.E.M. will come up listening through It’s Here Where You Fall and while that certainly hold water, there are worse things than following such a strong leading light. Truthfully, there aren’t enough bands that sound like R.E.M., right? The Italian band has flown under the radar and the consistent strength of their early catalog is a sign that may not be the case for long if more ears catch onto these infectious and nostalgic gems. (Kevin McStravick)