Isotope by Wasia Project

Review written by Harana

From gentle strumming and orchestral melodies to electric guitar and heart-racing percussive beats, the seven-track EP Isotope sonically captures heartbreak in a way that causes you to re-experience the emotional roller coasters of relationships past. The second EP of Asian-British sibling duo Wasia Project (Olivia Hardy and William Gao) takes on a gritter and more experimental sound compared to the jazzy and indie pop sensibilities shown in their first project “how can i pretend?”, displaying growth and versatility. This recent project was in no way made with the idea of making your average commercial album – with four lyrically-driven tracks and three instrumentals, Isotope is artfully crafted; every aspect of this EP works harmoniously to tell a captivating story that conveys the bittersweet feelings of an intense relationship.

Neither the vocals, instrumentation, or lyrics are an afterthought for this project – these elements work in tandem. The lyrics are rich with imagery and storytelling. “Is This What Love Is?” displays overwhelming fear and worry in love; “Takes Me Back Home” conveys the feeling of finding warmth and safety in another person; “Somebody Come Through” demonstrates the desperation and tired feeling of destructive cycles and spiraling thoughts; and “To Get Better” describes a person’s washed-up life and hope for change. A lot of lyrics are physically sense-provoking and/or relatable in the type of scene they’re painting. The duo plays with non-typical rhyme patterns that give lyrics a sense of rawness and unpredictability, which makes the narrative feel more real. The duo are wonderful lyricists in both what they write and what they don’t write, leaving moments open for instrumental breaks or non-lexical vocables. Not only does this keep the lyrical content solid and purposeful, but it also allows the brilliance of the instrumentals and the strength of the vocals to shine through.

The EP’s tracks are united by various usages of violin, piano, guitar, band-like drums, interesting percussive textures, wind instruments, and echoey effects. Despite these repeated instrumental layers, each instrumental is uniquely crafted to immerse you in each song’s world – the gentle piano and strings that bring tears to your eyes in “Take Me Back Home” almost induce a spiraling, panicked feeling with their percussive-like usage in the rock-esque “Somebody Come Through,” and then work to build to create this spine-chilling, gorgeously haunting and bittersweet atmosphere in “Tell Me Lies.” Emphasizing the EP’s overarching narrative, many of the tracks’ instrumentals flow seamlessly into the next, creating a pleasant listening experience that will always have you listening to the songs in order. The producers on this EP are Declan Gaffney and St Francis Hotel; they demonstrate a clear understanding of Hardy and Gao’s creative vision and have elevated their overall sound and auditory storytelling to the next level in this project.

Although instrumentals and lyrics are beautifully crafted, the vocal performances are truly the album’s highlight. If the instrumentals immerse you in each song’s world, Hardy and Gao’s voices are what make you stay and make you listen closer to the words they have to say. If I had to imagine what a siren’s singing would be like, I would imagine Hardy’s voice. Her vocals trend on light and airy, but she also has a compelling chest tone – the push and pull of her voice works to effectively convey each track’s emotional intensity. This addictive, haunting siren quality is the most prominent in “Is This What Love Is?” with rapid percussion, piercing strings, and layers of Hardy’s vocals enveloping the track as she builds into her higher register, echoing as if she’s crying out to you across miles of sea. Hardy is Wasia Project’s main vocal and enough to keep you hooked on her own, but Gao’s vocals being prominently featured on a track was a very pleasant and refreshing surprise during the first listen. He’s the star of the show in “To Get Better,” his baritone range and cadence giving the vibe of love ballad singers from the 50’s and 60’s. His timbre is velvet-like. He tends to keep his mouth rounded when he sings, but he also he plays with the placement of words, which makes his delivery unique. His vocals give a comforting and nostalgic feeling, addictive in an opposite way to Hardy/s. Vocals are the cherry on top of the entire production, giving you a sense of catharsis when every element hits your ears in just the right way.

Not only does Gao’s warmer and chestier voice compliment Hardy’s lighter and piercing one very well, but the rhythms of their vocals in this project are also complementary, Hardy having more melodic legato lines whereas Gao’s are more rhythmic. Hardy and Gao’s vocals often layer and harmonize throughout the EP. They are somewhat reminiscent of the instruments they were trained on; Olivia’s varying timbre, drawn-out lyric lines and building emotional tension echos violin, and William is more speech-like and rhythmic, like keys being pressed on piano. This may be a narrative choice, both sonically and visually – in the EP’s short film, Hardy and Gao both represent the Isotope. Hardy’s character is more prominent and moves around a lot whereas Gao’s character is more static and often in the background, mimicking the movement and role of their vocals. The storytelling is the heart of this album, conveying clear themes and narratives extremely well through visuals, track production, vocal performance, and lyricism. Isotope is evidence of Hardy and Gao’s genuine love and appreciation for the craft, as well as serious evolution and potential as a musical duo.