Review: Life's Design of Mind EP by Rich Williams
Rich Williams
work, writing a good review. I now see why good ones are so hard to
come by. Anyways, I would welcome any feedback on anything from grammar
to content so let me have it! If you don't have a copy of the disc,
order one for $5 off the website or myspace. (R)
Life's Design Of Mind, the freshman effort by Dallas outfit The
Wishlist takes listeners on an effortless journey, mixing rare musical
maturity with a dash of childish hope. Raised in a small east Texas
town, songwriter Kevin Thornton reveals a past rich in rock roots with
tragedy looming left and right. Thornton scribed the five tracks
reflecting on a rock tour gone right and a romance gone wrong. Spending
time with Coldplay's Chris Martin while managing a fledgling indie
tour, Thornton decided to focus his guitar talent into a piano project,
thus The Wishlist was born.
Thornton's perspective on stardom and failure touch on dread, "Like
a star without a name, it burns so bright before it fades away...",
"Is this all a waste of time? The beginning of the end..." and
promise, "There's no proper reaction, 'cause you are all I
imagined..." What seems to be a catch twenty-two for others turns
into a catchy tune for The Wishlist whose knack for lyrical darkness
compliments a very bright take on piano-centric indie rock.
The Wishlist's aversion to being pigeonholed as piano rock blooms
into the Strokes meets Ryan Adams "Reflections Of Me" where the
group flexes their guitar pop muscle, only to take another departure
with "Nova," a bouncy trip featuring brilliant harmonies and
stylized guitar. "Life's Design of Mind," the title track,
introduces every element of The Wishlist with a touching and listenable
ballad. "Perfect Portrait" and "This Is Love" capture the
essence of The Wishlist's live performance with melodic movement, pop
sensibility, and groove.
The Wishlist recorded the EP with Bowling For Soup producer Casey
Diiorio whose credits include the 2002 Grammy Nominated "Girl All The
Bad Guys Want." Matt Pence, Dallas indie hero and drummer for
Centro-Matic (Triggers and Trash Heaps) mastered Life's Design Of
Mind.