By: Kayleigh Drake 

After breadcrumbing us with increasingly catchy singles for the past several months, Wishy has at long last released their latest EP, “Planet Popstar.” As the name indicates, this is a step in a poppier direction than their earlier work, but it still retains the infectious hooks and sugar-sweet vocal harmonies that are characteristic to the rest of their repertoire.

Wishy is a band that I’ve been HEAVILY into for the past year or so. (Although I sadly missed them when they played at Saturn last year — fingers crossed they make their way back down here soon!) Their 2024 LP “Triple Seven” was at the top of my Albums of the Year list last year, and I still have the CD in constant rotation in my car stereo. (Because yes, my car still has a CD player. It’s okay, you can be jealous.) While “Planet Popstar” is a definite diversion from the fuzzed-out shoegaze-infused bops from the aforementioned LP, it’s still a very solid offering. 

We start out with “Fly,” one of the album’s singles, and it’s a laid-back, acoustic-leaning track anchored by Nina Pitchkites’ angelic pipes. That’s followed by “Planet Popstar,” the EP’s first single which was originally dropped all the way back in October. It’s a faster-paced song with crunchy distorted guitars, some killer riffs and a loud chorus that brings some energy into the mix. I’d say it’s probably the most similar in sound to their previous album. 

And then we get to my favorite song on the whole EP, “Over and Over,” which is yet another single (and rightly so). This is an extremely catchy, radio-friendly bop that is very reminiscent of the Y2K-era pop I was obsessed with in middle school — and I mean that in the best way. The chorus is so fun to sing along to: “I was a fool to try over and over again…” When I say that I listened to this song at least 20 times in a row when I first heard it, I’m not exaggerating.

Next up is “Chaser,” another radio-friendly pop track that opens on a synthy note and closes with an equally singalong-y outro of, “You like me sweet, no chaser.” (Honestly, #relatable.) Penultimate track “Portal” almost veers into some trip-hoppy vibes — it kind of reminds me of the Sneaker Pimps album “Bloodsport,” which might be due in part to the fact that it was released in the early aughts (which is the time period that this EP was undoubtedly inspired by). And finally, we arrive at “Slide,” which closes us out on a dream-pop note awash with shimmering guitars and a steady drum machine beat that carries us through to the end.

Overall, this is a really, really catchy EP that couldn’t be more perfect for the springtime. Do I like it as much as I liked “Triple Seven?” I can’t necessarily say that. But then again, it’s not exactly an apples-to-apples comparison. While I will always have a soft spot for Wishy’s shoegaze era, I’m excited to see what else they churn out on their current pop-centric trajectory. And if “Planet Popstar” is any indication, we’re in for a treat with whatever comes next.