New Music: Falling Into Light – Wish I Was Like Them

You’re unlikely to hear many debuts as accomplished and captivating as the blended shoegaze of Wish I Was Like Them.

The track, which preceded Falling Into Light’s illusions EP, finds the New Jersey based quartet navigating a third space between the fluid dreamscapes of shoegaze and the harder, more emotionally expressive sounds of heavygaze.

Natalia Vazquez’ vocals bring that synthesis into focus, softly spoken but laser sharp when it comes to bringing the lyrics’ message to life. Her voice is similar to Ivory Snow of Sungaze, pure and open with love and pain exposed to others, and the band occupies terrain similar to the hard/soft glare of Cigarettes for Breakfast. But here, as on illusions’ four songs, the influence of 90s alt rock is also a palpable and defining presence, making for an incredible debut single and EP.

You can get to know Falling Into Light by checking them out on Instagram, while illusions can be heard on Spotify and Apple Music.