By Margarita Artoglou
MisterWives is a group from Queens, which started in 2012. Courtesy of Deshaun Craddock
There are a few reasons I am a new fan of the band MisterWives. The first is the band’s name, which is a play on the term “sister wives” in a clever reference to lead singer Mandy Lee’s ability to bring the rest of the band’s male members together.
The second reason is due to the first song I heard off their new album, Our Own House. I normally don’t listen to an unknown song unless I hear it on the radio or a friend makes a recommendation, so it was very out of character for me to click on a random song I found on a Spotify playlist.
What compelled me to listen to this song in particular was the title, “Queens.” I wanted to hear the lyrics because of the small chance that the song was about the New York City borough I call home.
It turned out that the song was actually about Queens, where Lee also grew up. What’s more, it perfectly captured the way I feel about my hometown. Needless to say, I have found a new track to play during my commutes back home through Queens on the 7 train. So I decided to give the rest of the album a chance, and I was not disappointed.
The band’s first studio album is a versatile mix of fun and upbeat songs and a couple of slower, more emotional ballads. MisterWives effortlessly combines features of modern electro-pop and funky retro components to create a sound that is entirely its own.
Lee’s voice easily keeps up with the album’s continuously changing pace. The album features chillingly clear high notes on sadder songs like “Coffins” and “Vagabond,” powerful vocals exemplified on “Our Own House” and “Hurricane” and everything in between.
The most compelling thing about MisterWives, however, is their ability to set clever and thought-provoking lyrics to even their most bubbly and upbeat numbers. “Not Your Way,” the second song on the album, warns girls of becoming complacent about women’s rights and urges the importance of independence. The forward-thinking lyrics are set to a vintage sound that includes saxophones sounds that are reminiscent of the old-fashioned jazz of decades past, making for a juxtaposition that stimulates the kind of reflection that is not normally associated with most pop music.
The New York City-based band is relatively young, having formed in late 2012, yet it is quickly gaining recognition. They have opened for bands like American Authors and Fordham Spring Weekend performers twenty-one Pilots. “Vagabond,” one of their songs, is the opening theme of MTV’s “Finding Carter.”
MisterWives shows a lot of promise. I look forward to the day I can get in the car and drive through Queens listening to their song of the same name on the radio.
