Based out of Dyer, Indiana, Whimsical originally formed all the way back in 1999. The duo of Krissy Vanderwoude and Neil Burkdoll, Whimsical released their debut album, Setting Suns are Semi​-​Circles at the turn of the millennium before parting company in the mid-noughties. After a ten year hiatus, Whimsical got back together in 2015, and two years later released their second album, Sleep to Dream. The band’s self-released third album, Bright Smiles & Broken Hearts, was released in 2019 and caught the ear of both Shelflife Records (USA) and Through Love Records (Germany), who will now co-release the band’s latest offering, Melt at the start of April. Ahead of the release, today the band are premiering the latest single from Melt, Crash And Burn.

Melt’s centrepiece, Crash & Burn comes instantly crashing into life, quite literally as the track opens on a clatter of drums, before buzz-saw guitars slash through the rhythms, quickly sending the listener back to the unashamedly noisy world of 90s alt-rock. Rather than going full shoegaze though, as the band have shown themselves capable of in the past, here, they seem to pursue a more up-tempo, almost poppier vision, recalling the likes of Lush or Velocity Girl. Discussing the inspiration behind the track the band suggest it is, “about the rollercoaster of emotions that can sometimes come along with a relationship, especially if things are moving too fast”. The song touches on the highs and lows of a relationship especially one where, “there is miscommunication and confusion, which leads to uncertainty about what’s next”.

While they might still be exploring similar territory to that band who formed at the end of the last century, Whimsical seem to have found a way to breathe fresh life into an old sound. At a time when so many new bands seem to be leaning on the 90s for influence, as a band who actually remember the decade from the first time around, Whimsical’s well earned moment in the sun might just have arrived.

Melt is out April 1st via Shelflife Records. For more information on Whimsical visit https://whimsical1.bandcamp.com/.