Dream Wife – Dream Wife

Much has been made of London-based trio Dream Wife as a live band, but on their self-titled debut album they prove that they’re not just a one-trick pony.

Lead vocalist Rakel Mjöll, guitarist Alice Go and bassist Bella Podpadec all met while studying various art courses at Brighton University, where Dream Wife was born as a performance art project. Quickly realising the immense chemistry between them, they made the decision to take the band out of the university walls and into the real world.

Dream Wife encapsulates the incredible energy of the band's live shows, which they've been perfecting since their inception. Bookended by punk thrashers Let’s Make Out and F.U.U., it's bold, playful and fast-paced but still leaves plenty of room for more delicate moments. Mjöll’s staccato vocals are sharp and snappy on Fire and Hey Heartbreaker, while Go’s infectiously catchy guitar riffs are the driving force on Kids and Right Now. But the band also show their softer side, particularly on Love Without Reason – its beauty stemming from its sheer simplicity.

'You were a cute girl standing backstage / It was bound to happen,' sings Mjöll on Somebody, addressing issues of sexism and rape culture by listing off a series of stereotypical comments made towards women before concluding in the chorus, 'I am not my body / I am somebody.'

Dream Wife is brimming with grungey, glam melters and dreamy pop melodies that perfectly capture the enthusiasm and confidence of Dream Wife's live shows, without sounding too over-polished.

Listen to: Let's Make Out, Fire, Love Without Reason