Willo has mused on connection, nostalgia, and solitude with ‘watching a memory’, a transcendent EP serving as the follow-up to 2022’s ‘Can Do This’
Across seven tracks, the Sydney-based musician delivers an eclectic batch of punchy club heaters and ethereal ambient cuts, all while “capturing the fleeting moments of inspiration experienced throughout my creative journey,” she said in a statement.
The EP opens with the atmospheric synths of ‘reverie (start of something)’, an ambient dreamscape that coasts on pulsating drums and acid lines.
Showcasing Willo‘s knack for encapsulating a feeling, the first track is heavy on vibe-creation, switching from spacey production to more propulsive beats with finesse.
All of it serves as “a little glimpse of what ‘s to come,” Willow said, and she makes good on that promise with ‘All Your Love’. This sun-drenched second track is instantly nostalgic, and features the hypnotic vocals of Sydney musician Skeleton.
The sonic equivalent of a summer’s afternoon at the beach, ‘All Your Love’ recalls the likes of Sigma with its shimmering synths and almost tropical-sounding house rhythms.
Embracing a spirit of versatility that continues throughout the whole EP, Willo changes paces with ‘FEEL LUCKY’, a grittier club cut that offers the nighttime accompaniment to ‘All Your Love’.
It’s the kind of scattering, drum-heavy track that feels welcome in the era of Charli XCX’s ‘brat’; an instant club classic that doesn’t lose sight of more melodic moments.
Distorted vocal harmonies provide a pop-leaning flair that allows ‘FEEL LUCKY’ to maintain the EP’s ethereality, as Willo tells a story of enduring friendships.
The project stretches to more romantic tales with ‘RUSH (Blush)’, a slice of pure-electro pop à la Flume that details the head-over-heels feeling of having a crush.
Elsewhere, on ‘Tha Rhythm’, Willo again pays homage to club culture with a reggae edge, showcasing her unique sound of summery club anthems.
She heads to dub territory on the niina-featuring ‘i’ve got a bf (best friend)’, an EP standout that brims with skittering drum and bass and stomach-dropping synths, recalling the lo-fi electronics of PinkPanthress.
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Willo’s efforts culminate on the closer and title track, which returns us beachside with ocean field recordings and glitch-pop flourishes.
With its slower pacing, ‘watching a memory’ is a fitting final track, delivering the energy of a sunrise festival set and providing something of a sonic palette cleanser for all the sweaty heaters that came before.
Such mastery should perhaps be expected from Willo, who has appeared on lineups alongside Mall Grab and Bicep and has established herself as a breakout act in Australia’s dance music scene.
Catch Willo at the cusp of her ascent with the latest EP ‘watching a memory’ below.
