Formed in Athens in 2010, the modern shoegaze quartet, Wonky Doll and the Echo are beginning to get some notice outside of their native Greece.
Guitarist and singer, George Lemons’ deep baritone voice at first resembles The National’s Matt Berninger, but probably has more in common with Peter Murphy of Bauhaus. There is definitely something dark going on here, as evidenced by their newly released video for “The Cut,” one of the highlights of the album. The video is a cinematic vision that is disturbing and nightmarish and better illustrates where this band is coming from than either the title of their debut album, Pleasant Thoughts, or their odd and whimsical name would have you believe.
Wonky Doll and the Echo owe a lot to 80s era post-punk acts like The Cure, Magazine, and Joy Division, but at the same time, their sound feels quite fresh. Another standout track, Obsession, demonstrates their use of catchy drum and bass riffs that drive swirling, atmospheric synths and guitars that are at once airy and aggressive. This is a strong debut and it is definitely worth watching to see what they do next. For now, enjoy the dark and moody Pleasant Thoughts, available through Dark Entries Records or on their Website or Bandcamp page.