Superbloom by MisterWives | Album Review

The third album from the New York indie darlings dives into the emotional minutiae of breakups on their biggest project to date.

Credit: Fueled By Ramen

The story of indie darlings MisterWives is a testament to how talent and serendipity can combine to create magic.

In 2012, singer-songwriter Mandy Lee, drummer Etienne Bowler, and bass guitarist William Hehir were performing live in restaurants, realizing they needed new members for their act. Bowler brought on his friends, guitarist Marc Campbell and keyboard/sax player Mike Murphy, and on February 1, 2013, they played their first set at legendary Manhattan music spot Canal Room under the name “MisterWives.”

On February 2, 2013, the day after their debut performance, they were signed to Photo Finish Records and quickly began work on a debut EP. Once that EP, Reflections, was released, they earned critical acclaim nationwide, and, despite some label hiccups along the way, have put out album after rock solid album every step of the way.

Which brings us to their third LP, Superbloom, the band’s most expansive project musically and lyrically. At 19 songs totaling just over an hour of pristine, glossy indie pop, the often upbeat and bright sounds conceal deep personal drama under the surface. Without diving into super personal details, the record explores the end of Lee and Bowler’s eight-year romantic relationship.

Superbloom tells this story almost chronologically, beginning with the breakup and diving into the emotional aftermath from there. Appropriately, we begin with “The End,” starting in the immediate moments following the dissolution of their relationship. Backed by one of the catchiest melodies on the record, Lee sings about beginning a new chapter in life, keeping her eyes open to see everything on the long road ahead of her.

The following “Ghost” is even more potent, musically and lyrically. Lee sings of her former lover as a haunting specter, but interestingly, she doesn’t want to banish this spirit. Instead, she relishes having part of that love following her around. And, of course, the driving energy and impassioned vocals they put to tape really help sell the concept.

We get a significant sonic shift with “Over The Rainbow,” which packs a wallop with its driving drumbeat and frenetic tempo changes. The moodier sound perfectly complements the lyrics, which detail the emotional isolation experienced during the aftermath of a major negative event in life:

I’m over the rainbow

Drifting in the snow

Please keep me ice cold

Keep me hollow, I’m

Over the rainbow

No yellow brick road

Can’t seem to find home.

They keep the switch-up going with “It’s My Turn,” which rides a grimy bassline, four-on-the-floor drumbeat, and some epic synth breakdowns. On top of this, Lee belts an anthem to post-breakup hedonism, numbing out the emotional pain with a night on the town:

Now it’s my turn

To be the crazy one

To finally come undone

To go and let the house just burn

To mess the system up

So I’ma raise a cup

And celebrate until I learn.

We also get many emotionally impactful slower numbers throughout Superbloom’s lengthy tracklist, and my favorite of them is “Running In Place.” Lee’s lyrics about running from the emotional pain of heartbreak really resonate, and I love how the simple piano and massive choral vocal layers combine to create more than the sum of their parts.

I also can’t get enough of the ebullient jam band feel that overtakes “Decide To Be Happy.” Not to mention, the lyrics really connect with me as someone currently managing an anxiety disorder:

Music, it saved me

But it drives me crazy

’Cause it forces my eyes to take a look and see

Got to decide to be happy

’Cause it don’t always come naturally

Been feelin’ like a stranger in my body.

But while Superbloom contains these beautiful clusters of high-quality artistry, the tracklist feels bloated, with significant stretches of songs that fail to stand out. The four tracks between “7–2” and “Oxygen” feel particularly lacking in this regard. Furthermore, slower ballads outweigh the energetic moments on the album, and few of them stand out as much as tracks like “Ghost” or “Decide To Be Happy.”

After high highs and low lows, the band brings us to the closing title track, a perfect finishing moment for the album. After riding a full-fledged emotional rollercoaster across these 19 songs, Lee triumphantly emerges at the other side, making a declarative and powerful statement of self-love. It’s a testament to their maturity and artistic ability that MisterWives have found such creativity from a situation that would end many bands, and I look forward to their future endeavors:

I deserve congratulations

’Cause I came out the other side

I’ve been having revelations

And I’m gon’ let them shine.

Production: 7/10

Lyrics: 7/10

Songwriting: 7/10

Overall: 7/10

Favorites: Ghost, Running In Place, Superbloom

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Thank you for reading! What did you think of this album? Leave a comment with your thoughts, and I’ll see you in the next review!