Listening to Penelope Isles is like taking a summer holiday to a sunshine seaside resort, staying in a lighthouse on a distant shore. They are a group that catches the sun rays, feels the rain pour, aims for the moon, whilst catching a few stars along the way. They are a group that takes a day trip to a magical island where all the dreamers hang out in unison and also in solitude. They are the pensive poets, meeting up at night to stargaze through a kaleidoscopic telescope that sees the cosmos up close in a pastel palette of soft tones, and deep blues with a glistening sheen that reflects the light.
Led by siblings Jack and Lily Wolter on vocals and guitar, Henry Nicholson on bass and Joe Taylor on drums, Penelope Isles are a Tidal wave of dream-pop, swimming in the undercurrents of shoegaze, whilst floating in the ebb and flow of jangly-pop. They are a captivating band, that paddles in the shallow waters of neo-psychedelia, whilst sweeping away to the shimmering shores of baroque rock. They are a band whose duality of vocals lift and linger in a stream of overlapping emotions, that blend effortlessly against the surge of sentiments. A band that wears its heart on its sleeve, Penelope Isles are the real deal, a band that reaches out, whilst remaining ambiently aloof.
They are a band that reflects from the shadows, whilst air-lifted by the light. They are a band with their fingers on the pulse sitting on the front row of dream pop, in the VIP lounge of the recent renaissance of shoegaze. As a band, Penelope Isles are a breath of fresh air, a shimmery surge of sugar sensuality that paves the way for a new generation of Indie-pop.
Following the success of their debut EP “Comfortably Swell”, released in 2015, and their debut album “Until The Tide Creeps In”, released in 2019, Penelope Isles have been making waves again with their latest album, “Which Way To Happy”. Released in 2021, “ Which Way To Happy” is a sublime album, that sign-posts to a celestial conference of alternative rock, conducted by The Flaming Lips, that levitates from the lucid lineage of Cocteau Twins, jangling aside The Smiths, whilst floating on the orchestral waves of Camera Obscura and The Dear Hunter. It’s an album of emotional depth, that sedates with Radiohead and submarines with Brian Eno whilst harmonising with The Pastels, and The Vaselines. It’s an album that is immaculately produced and contemporarily crafted, in a grandiose of symphonic pop
Terrified surfs the shoegaze shores on its angular tides and heads towards a jangly horizon. It’s a track that ducks its head in the DNA pool of 80s synth-pop, whilst gasping for air in a wave of dream-pop. It’s a wistful track that dips its toes in the farfisa foam of neo-psychedelia, whilst running on the sandy beaches of melancholy in a cinematic flashback of nostalgia.
Rocking at the Bottom shoegazes the night sky in a twinkle of xylophonic tinkles, taps and jangly riffs. It’s a lucid lullaby that dazes in the lineage of post-punk and awakens in the slumberous state of dream-pop. Through the pensive breeze of Orchestral pop, zig-zag riffs, and rumbling beats, Rocking at The Bottom, night trails during its darkest hour and crosses over chaotically into the realms of ethereal rock.
Play It Cool floats on the crystallised waters of jangly-pop whilst waltzing on the waves of twee-pop. It’s a wistful breeze of dream-pop that whirls and swirls towards the hazy haven of shoegaze and cascades from the higher realms of alt-rock. Through the bebop harmonies and aloof piano tinkles, Play It Cool, drifts towards the Indie-pop pastures of the golden years, whilst remaining a contemporary classic.
Iced Gems tip-toes and spins in an ethereal breeze of gentle vocals and tepid beats. It’s an exquisite track, that flickers from the Stella synths and jitters from the celestial circuit board of indie-pop. Along with the flutey flutters and acoustic riffs, Iced Gems, floats in the wings of neo-folk-psych, whilst levitating on the clouds of dream-pop.
Sailing Still drifts across the melancholic waters of jangly pop, whilst taking an excursion to the shores of shoegaze. Along with the baroque-pop wave of violins, elongated vocals and hazy harmonies, Sailing Still sails its spectral ship towards the orchestral island of Symphonic pop. It’s a hypnotic track that gushes and surges in slow-motion in a whirlpool of discord dreampop.
Miss Moon twinkles, glides and elevates in an ascension of Stella-symphonic-pop. It’s a mesmerising track, that space-zooms and pitter-patters with synth-pop and collides with the remnants of psychedelic–rock. Along with the telescopic vocals, Miss Moon, floats with the debris of ethereal rock, and shimmers in the shadows 90 billion light years away.
Sudoku flies in the farfisa fuzz of neo-psych whilst spinning with the solar flares of jangly pop. It’s a track that shimmers in the shadows of baroque-rock, whilst orbiting towards the hazy hues of slowcore. It’s sonically sun-drenched that tepid taps and twinkles in a daze of dreampop amongst the meteorite showers of shoegaze. It’s a magestically melancholic track that space-shudders from the waves of synth-pop, whilst bending between the realms of time and space.
Have You Heard races in the realms of new wave and echoes in the sugar chambers of twee-pop. It’s a captivating track, whose dual harmonies take a cinematic escapade to sonic surrealism, whilst diving in the dark-wave pools of dream-pop. Along with the synth-shudders, space-splutters and pensive piano, Have You Heard, spins in a vortex of neo-psychedelic, before sinking into oblivion.
Pink Lemonade floats above the translucent tree-tops of dream pop, whist being conducted by the jangly waves of Orchestral-pop. Through the distinctive vocals, Pink Lemonade evokes a haunting beauty that cascades amidst the twinkles, farfisa fog and quivering violins. Hypnotic and soothing, Pink Lemonade floats beneath its melancholic moon, whilst shimmering with the stars.
11:11 backtracks to the shadows of neo-psychedelia, whilst laying bare its crestfallen soul. Through the stripped down acoustics, jangly strums, rolling drums and raw lyrics, 11:11 is a melancholic catharsis, that twinkles in the woods of neo-folk, whilst swept away by a tumultuous tides of baroque–rock.
Through the menacing drones, In A Cage drifts like a weighty dark cloud, whilst being awakened by a flicker of sunshine synths. It’s a hypnotic track, that backtracks from the remnants of neo-psychedelia, and tinkers from the daybreak of neo-folk. Along with the jangly synths, In A Cage floats from the cosmic cloth of ambient pop, whilst seeing the birds flutter from the nebulous corners of its mind. Through the deadpan vocals and muffled voices , In A Cage sets free its emotions, whilst encapsulating the raw sentiments of the track.
Find out more about Penelope Isles here.
The album, Which Way To Happy, was released on 5th November 2021 via Bella Union