Wonderlick charges with blazing new indie-rock anthem "Rhinoceros" [Review]

In their new single, "Rhinoceros," Wonderlick isn't just strumming chords but sharpening a horn. Lifted off their debut LP, slated for release this August, the song is a cautionary tale cloaked in the guise of an indie rock jam, featuring absurdist-themed lyrical elements that nod to playwright Eugene Ionesco's infamous play of the same name. But this is no theater lecture, as Wonderlick keeps it raw, human, and uncomfortably relevant.

Longtime band collaborators Jay and Tim again demonstrate they're more than musicians and storytellers with bite. Exchanging verses the way they are traded philosophical blows, the song proceeds, in sound terms, as a sparring match between two figures, the one fighting desperately to retain his humanity and the other more quietly, and perhaps even without knowing it, sliding into something that has a hide to thicken and a spike to grow.

"Rhinoceros" is driving guitars and uneasy melodies that set and release tension like a conscience at war with itself. It's indie rock with backbone, dense with enough metaphor to pick apart on repeat listens, but immediately accessible due to the band's intuitive chemistry and clear-eyed lyrics. There's a simmering tension built into each line and riff. Wonderlick captures how thought creeps in, how it doesn't kick your door down but slowly seeps into its various apertures, co-opting, reshaping, and quietly dehumanizing until those of you still standing upright, still thinking freely, are the "weird" ones.

Jay's voice turns more insistent, more frantic, "Are you one of us?" he pleads. Not really, Tim insists, appearing almost to believe his own denial, and to his credit, "I'm not." You're then left staring into the mirror, wondering whose side they're on, as the slow, subtle shift in sound transformation occurs. "Rhinoceros" is a warning wrapped in a groove. In a universe where the absurd has somehow already ascended to law, Wonderlick asks us to remain bizarre, remain human, and for the love of Cod, remain conscious. On this track, they're not just making music. They do their shouting in just the right place.

Discover Wonderlick on Instagram 

Post a Comment

Previous Post Next Post