The Brilliance of Wave Chase’s Latest Single: ‘At Least I Can Say That I Tried’
Wave Chase, a band based in Brighton, UK, consists of George Kingman (Lead Vocals and Rhythm Guitar), Tim Baldwin (Backing Vocals and Bass Guitar), Mickey Golicher (Lead Guitar), Charlie Cane (Drums), and Sam Ruthem (Backing Vocals and Keys). Their latest single, ‘At Least I Can Say That I Tried,’ for which I now have the pleasure of reviewing, was recorded at Parr Street Studios in Liverpool, produced and mixed by Alex Quinn (known for work with Blossoms, Lottery Winner, and Trudy and the Romance) and mastered by Timothy Stollenwerk in Portland, US (known for work with The Dandy Warhols and Surf Curse).
The song starts with a really catchy hook in the guitars that instantly grabs you. But, I like that they don’t dwell on this and bring the vocals in early. Why? Because the vocals are brilliant! They are suited to the style and genre and have a really nice tone. Sometimes things stand out in a band like a sore thumb. Maybe a vocal isn’t married to the style of the song, or the guitars are too heavy for the track. But, Wave Chase and ‘At Least I can Say That I Tried’ … well, what they have just works. It gels. Nothing feels out of place.
The bass is magnificent – it’s high in the mix, it bounces with the staccato guitars, and it’s brilliantly played. Same with the guitars – beautiful mix and sound. And the drums, pounding away and keeping things in time even when they adjust the dynamics by dropping in and out. The keys add a nice layer of thickness at the right moments, and, as I say… everything just works.
The song for me has vibes of that early ‘00s indie rock that came through strong – Razorlight, The Futureheads, The Strokes – energetic, melodic, and worked out. Worked out, you ask? This doesn’t just happen. For example, verse, pre-chorus, chorus, verse, pre-chorus, chorus… all very straightforward up to now… but, we then move into a mellow breakdown, a verse… and followed by chorus? No, for dramatic effect, Wave Chase heads into the mellow breakdown again to wrap the song up. It’s a simple switch from the normal ‘big’ chorus repeats at the end a song, and not one that many bands will do… but, I like it. As I say, it’s been thought out… it’s dramatic and makes the song feel emotional.
More workings out for you… The verse vocals are punctuated by guitar and given breathing space between them, making the busier pre- and chorus sections that much stronger. So, it isn’t just the melodic virtues that make the song catchy; this is further reinforced by the clever use of phrasing throughout the track.
On a side note, I just finished watching ‘One Day’ on Netflix last night (I know, it’s taken me a while!), and as I listened to this track, I got some really solid vibes of how this would have fit in as one of the featured / soundtrack songs. It would have been perfect! I genuinely think this could be destined to be on some kind of Netflix show or soundtrack somewhere. And, when you tie in what the song is thematically about – a big time of change… authenticity in relationships… the struggles to find genuine connection among the world of ‘modern’ romance – I would say the opportunities are probably going to be endless.
Wave Chase has something pretty spectacular here, and I genuinely wish them all the best at finding the right opportunities to get heard by a wider audience. Keep going guys.
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