Wings of Desire - Life Is Infinite

The release of this compilation in the dying embers of 2023 frames these songs in terms of endings and beginnings for Wings of Desire; a clearing of the decks as this first, formative era of the band closes, and a new one begins. James Taylor and Chloe Little are opening a new chapter both personally and professionally, with the two former Inheaven members now a married couple as of this past August, and over the varied course of ‘Life Is Infinite’’s twelve tracks, there’s plenty of evidence as to the solidity of their creative bond. Clearly, they share the same foundational bedrock of influences, one largely rooted in the ‘80s; there are crunching guitars reminiscent of William Reid’s in The Jesus and Mary Chain, soaring synths that nod to New Order and a sense of rolling drama to the knowing, interlocking vocals. It’s one thing wearing your influences on your sleeve, but it’s another to infuse them with a sense of urgency, especially ones as done to death as those mentioned above.

In that regard, ‘Life Is Infinite’ is a bit of a mixed bag; there are moments where, for all the polish, the duo sound as if they’re going over their forebears’ outlines. When they do hit the heights, though, the results are scintillating, especially on the constantly shape-shifting anthem ‘001 [Tame The War, Feed The Fire]’, which incorporates spoken-word wit and soaring choruses. The stormy ‘Angels’, too, is spectacular, tapping into the kind of atmospherics you’d expect from a band named after a Wim Wenders film. By the end of this opening instalment, Wings of Desire have demonstrated plenty of promise. Now to go forward and build upon it.