Wish Goes On by Milly Album review by Adam Williams for Northern Transmissions

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Wish Goes On

Milly

What was once a solo venture helmed by Brendan Dyer, supported by a revolving door line-up of varied musicians, Milly has settled into a tight unit of four. Following on from 2019’s debut EP ‘Our First Songs’, the recently solidified quartet have readied ‘Wish Goes On’, the first release to commemorate the project operating as a fully-fledged band, with Spencer Light (guitar), Yarden Erez (bass) and Zach Capittifenton (drums) joining Dyer in finalising Milly v2.0.

Speaking with Under The Radar Magazine, Dyer reflects “’Wish Goes On’ signifies a new beginning. It marks the transition from Milly being primarily a solo endeavour to a full-on collaborative and living being. The songs serve as an example of time passing, new passages, and ideas to wish for. It is an acknowledgment of all that I’ve experienced in the past few years but stepping forward with new energy, accompanied and supported by the best people. The guitars are big, the lyrics are heartfelt and true, and the future is looking bright. It’s everything I have collected over time and emphasized, via the lens of my closest contributors. We have become one single unit on ‘Wish Goes On.’”

The five track release combines the gargantuan sound of shoegaze, with the coarseness of grunge but with a dreaminess injected by Dyer’s drawled vocal melodies. ‘Wish Goes On’ is a dichotomy, in that it’s rough and loud in some respects but intimate and melancholic in others. Sometimes tagged as slowcore, Milly’s sophomore release isn’t one to hit the ground running, it’s an EP that saunters and glides, as walls of guitar contort and retract while drums bob along with a steady gait. There are variations on the grunge/shoegaze palette, namely ‘Star Thistle Blossom’ adds in a fuzzier yet intricate layer of texture while closing track ‘Birds Fly High’ opts to scuzz up the aforementioned fuzz even more for a booming finale. Thematically, Dyer notes ‘Wish Goes On’ ruminates on “time passing” and “new passages” while some of the lyrics are more agonistic and open to interpretation. ‘Teach Old Dogs New Tracks’, with its minimal, quiet/loud shifting dynamics, adopts a reflective mood “under the blanket of stars/she lays there contemplating” and opener ‘Star Spangled Banner’s (don’t be thinking Milly have gone all Hendrix at Woodstock on us here) slow, atmospheric plod has Dyer state “how might you reach your peace for today/hand on a heart/held a bouquet” with a slight air of cynicism aimed at banal patriotism. ‘Denial’ on the other hand, containing “your eyes/like your smile/are fucking up my life” speaks for itself.

Now with its headcount in order and a bright future ahead, we’ll watch out for Milly’s next steps with great interest.

Order by Milly via Dangerbird Records HERE

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