Wild Smiles “Always Tomorrow”

One of the biggest surprises about Wild Smiles is that this fast rising trio actually come from Winchester. The sound they have created on this excellent debut certainly recalls influences from far wider, and let’s face it, more rock n roll towns! Following a single and EP release the band have ensured that they have delivered an album that they can be truly proud of. This goes for both the tunes and the lyrics which show a depth that many new bands fail to reach.
It’s the title track which begins the album and is a neat little pop song which is almost like a Beach Boys song being performed by The Ramones, which is a pretty cool way to open any album! “The Best Few Years” and “Fool For You” see the band almost have a power pop vibe but smuggled in under the grunge of a surf song.

“Everyone’s The Same” opens up with an absolutely brilliant Spector esque drum beat before it moves on to a slower song which is reminiscent of The Vaccines. In contrast, “Figure It Out” is an up and at them fighting song which sees an appreciation of the Ramones’ simplistic, but effective, rock n’ roll coming through.
You can certainly see why “Girlfriend” was chosen as a single from the album as it’s a good demonstration of the band’s ability to deliver a catchy tune but disguised by a raucous indie band beat. “The Gun” and “Hold On” see them shifting decade and influences again with the first of these being a song that could easily be from a great sixties garage rock band. Whilst “Hold On” has an almost glam rock feel to go with the overall garage sound, before you hit a mid-song break that recalls The Stooges.

“Never Wanted This” opens up a bit like a long lost Nirvana track, another band who weren’t afraid of adding a bit of commercial sense to their alternative sound. The album ends on an upbeat song called “See You Again” which has a joyous surf pop/garage sound to provide a fitting finale.
If you remember when The Vaccines first hit the scene, they were promised to finally be the indie band who knew a bit about real rock n roll. Sadly, they never lived up to the hype and it was all a bit dull and disappointing. Thankfully, Wild Smiles could actually be that band. They’re a band who have clearly been influenced by some classic, right through from The Beach Boys, to the Ramones and on to Nirvana. They have, however, avoided the mistake as just coming across as derivative but instead have given it all their own twist. A few years back bands like The Vaccines, Tribes and Howler were getting a huge amount of main stream press for delivering a similar sound but with inferior songs than we find on this album. Let’s hope that with “Always Tomorrow” we will see The Wild Smiles get that level of recognition, because they definitely deserve it.