Oh Wonder - Oh Wonder
9/10
After drip-feeding us with one track a month over the last year via Soundcloud, we can now finally look forward to the release of the complete album, and a series of live dates from this enigmatic duo from south-east London. In the days of my youth we used 'Oh Wonders' to describe friends who went to London to seek fame and fortune (due to the first two digits of their landline phone numbers). In those days they would listen to the likes of The Smiths or Belle and Sebastian to nurse them through the brutal realities of bed-sit life. Today we have this gorgeous collection, expanded to fifteen tracks for the album release. Even with mobile phones and social media, London life can still be lonely and frightening at times, and this album beautifully describes the process and dangers of seeking love and friendship amidst the high-rollers of an anonymous large city. Minimalist in style and production, but with impeccably matched vocals from Anthony West and Josephine Vander Gucht, this one is going to be massive. For fans not only of James Blake and The XX, but equally relevant to the romantic followers of Summer Camp. Love it.
9/10
