It’s hard to believe that Orange County-based darkwave pop mainstays Double Wish – supported at KCRW, KEXP, Stereogum, Under the Radar, FLOOD and more – are only now releasing their debut LP (out August 22). Their intoxicating blend of styles, boundary-pushing POV, and restless experimentation have made the duo of Philippe Andre and Adam Sabolick indie darlings, and on their first official album, they set out to show exactly why they’re so beloved. 

Andre and Sabolick didn’t set out to make their grandest statement to date when they began trading ideas that would end up on Double Wish, which is perhaps why the album feels so whimsical yet so precise, the perfect balance of improvisational spirit and attention to detail. 

From the overblown, anthemic synths of album opener “Tattooed Heart” to the melted, psychedelic rock track "How Often Do You Think Of Me", above all, Double Wish is a defining statement from a band that has been hinting at their most fully realized vision for a number of years. It’s satisfying to see a band so clearly execute the exact ideas they’ve been manifesting across a few years and a number of EPs. It’s an album defiant in its position in this broken era of playlisting and short attention spans. It asks to be heard from front to back, and demands that attention thanks to the quality of these songs.