Bringing together the simplicity of a ballad-like piano-lead and the contemporary stylings of heavy vocal effects and production warping, Zander gets expressive and creative, throughout Wish You Well.
Starting things up with chaotic sound-play but still implying a sense of emotion to follow, Wish You Well soon adopts its lasting patterns of piano and voice, for a meandering and deeply personal outpouring. The delivery is almost freestyle-esque to a degree, and proceeds to balance vulnerability and longing across a fairly raw recording.
Blending aspects of rap and melody throughout, Wish You Well is recognisable for its piano-line above all else. Alongside this, moments of quiet contemplation and calm are intermittently balanced with faster-paced hits of storytelling as the details and feelings build.
Vocally Zander puts in a devoted performance. The contemporary production choices overwhelm the natural qualities of the voice to a degree, but not so much so that it robs the song of its clearly sentimental purpose. The lyrics and presentation join forces in offering a sense of melancholy and overcoming all at once. As the story gathers momentum, so too does the mood of the music – the pace, the volume, the passion.
An interesting take on modern-day heartbreak and self-reflection, freshly released from the upcoming project Thoughts I Wish You Knew.
Download or stream Wish You Well here. Check out Zander on Instagram.
