Blogcritics.org: Life's Design of Mind by Ray Ellis
Rich Williams
you find you have a whole group of New Best Friends and an ever-growing
collection of demo discs from bands who, for the most part, will never
go any further in their music careers. I still have what they called
"tapes" in the 1980's from local "new wave" bands who went on to pursue
brilliant careers in retail management, banking and law. It wasn't that
they were terrible musicians-- they just didn't understand that jamming
and recording are separate entities.
Every once in a very great while, when going through your one-offs, you
stumble upon a disc that demands you pay attention. The freshman effort
from the Dallas-based Wishlist, Life's Design of Mind, is such a disc.
Produced by Casey Diiorio ( Bowling For Soup), this five-song EP is
piano-driven pop balladry reminiscent of Keane, or Coldplay in their
lighter moments. Even on a casual listen, you immediately realize that
the Wishlist has no agenda beyond delivering a well-crafted package of
romantic reminisces.
That in no way implies that Life's Design of Mind falls victim to
schmaltz-- quite the opposite. Despite its somewhat unwieldy title,
this debut is artful without being artsy in its decidedly urban
vignettes of coffee shop-flavored romantic angst. What bandmates Kevin
Layne (vocals, piano), Alex Hastings (guitar), Rich Williams (bass) and
Jonny Mack (drums) have encapsulated the uncertainty and promise of
love and commitment in a quintet of hook-laden tunes. It's date music
with an edge.
Blog Critics: http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/07/16/190149.php
Ray's Blog:
http://culturesalad.blogspot.com/2006/07/wishlistlifes-design-of-mind.html
Our appreciation to Ray Ellis for this great review! Comment on this
blog and read other insightful musings at culturesalad.blogspot.com.
Thanks, Rich