Wallice - Mr. Big Shot

The twinkling that opens this EP is deceptive: ‘Best Friend’ quickly explodes against a wall of guitars and swelling vocals – almost like a warning. Don’t assume anything about what comes next. Wallice flits between wry lyrics delivered with an eye roll to anguished expulsions of emotions, between quiet strumming and pure shredding, moving so quickly it’s hard to keep track of, but even harder to turn away from. ‘Loser at Best’ is all strop, in the most cathartic way possible. Elsewhere, she’s all upbeat head bops and self-reflection. ‘Prepaid Wireless’ is the standout – a rush of longing and loss with a thrumming guitar line that the track’s tension seems to curl desperately around. It buzzes with anxiety at times, but equally bounces with ambition. From laughably resonant lyrics (“I’m feeling good / Think it’s time to self-sabotage”) to larger-than-life guitars, ‘Mr Big Shot’ cements Wallice as a force to be reckoned with. Her tracks crash into life, and by the explosive, futuristic finale of ‘disappear’, it becomes clear her hard-hitting but thrillingly witty tracks are one of a kind.