The Wingman
Sleeping Eyes

Active since 2015, the Venetians The Wingman are only now releasing their debut record through an EP titled “Sleeping Eyes.” Personally, I've always appreciated this format because it allows a band—especially a new one—to give a general idea of their offering without going overboard. So, let's talk about this mini-album, a hybrid between pop-rock with influences ranging from folk to electric, leading to a final result akin to a rollercoaster. The opener “Bash” immediately suggests a band that has drawn definite inspiration from what is trending nowadays in the pop-rock scene, a catchy track in itself that opens the doors to folk, resulting in an overall pleasant outcome. “Desolate Heart,” almost orchestral in its initial part, builds up primarily due to a confident entry of the rhythm section, which at least manages to give a clear direction to a piece that is quite unstable as a whole. A track to delve into for future developments is “Smells Like Alcohol,” a rock piece we could almost describe as classic but manages to excite. Then it returns to decidedly soft contexts with “Sweetest Dream,” a track we could describe as enchanting in some ways and perhaps a bit too “soft” if placed in the middle of a tracklist. A tendency towards harmony is also highlighted in the final track “Karpathos,” where the bass gives a jazz flavor to the piece, which, all in all, is among the most interesting of the entire lot precisely for its uniqueness. Like every respectable debut band, even The Wingman case shows evident light and dark points, mainly due to the young age of the musicians and a sound direction that is still being defined. The vocals fall within the just-mentioned discussion, perhaps feeling more at ease in more pop-oriented situations, with a tone that is overall pleasant to listen to. There's definitely a lot of work to be done, a reason that leads me to rate this “Sleeping Eyes” no more than satisfactory.