by Chris Hatch

Sprawling and focused – two opposites that Wyldest (aka Zoe Mead) manages to tease together on the rich, textural taster from upcoming album, Monthly Friend.

Written, produced, and mastered entirely by Mead, the pieces of Beggar don’t quite snap into place neatly. Instead, they drift around and tessellate loosely: sparkling guitars wrap themselves around blurry, shifting overdubs, and in the dense, layered mix, melodies are swept in before being blown away again – as a chunky, driving bass line is the eye around which the storm swirls.

Comparisons to the revivalist emo/shoegaze of Soccer Mommy and Snail Mail are inevitable, but on the basis of Beggar, Mead has a purpose and emphasis that positions her slightly away from her peers – allowing her lush, dreamy soundscapes to float just above the atmosphere without getting lost in the either.

Monthly Friend is out on 28th May through Hand in Hive.

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