the wheel
For almost three weeks now, I've been listening to I See Stars' new album, "The Wheel," and it has become my hyper fixation album of the month. I've been a huge fan of theirs for a long time, and after seeing them live for the first time in 2024, I was hoping a new album would soon come into fruition. After waiting for this album for years, it did not disappoint in the slightest.
It seems like a darker version of "Treehouse" both aesthetically and musically. Not to say that it doesn't have its own separate identity from their album "Treehouse," and I think "The Wheel" brings in a nice blend of all their previous work, while ushering in this new era of sound as well.
There's a balanced mixture of emotion presented throughout the album. There's a sense of sadness, grief, and hopelessness, which is then replaced by a bit of anger and resentment in their more energetic, fast paced songs. Whether you need a good cry or you need a song for your gym playlist, this album has it. With that being said, this is how I would personally rank every song on the album:
1. carry on for you
2. Flood Light
3. Lost It
4. Curtain Call
5. FLOAT
6. SPLIT
7. Afterdark
8. are we 3ven?
9. D4MAGE DONE
10. Anomaly
11. Drift
12. THE WHEEL
13. Eliminator
14. Spin It
I really stand by my top 3 tracks. "Lost It" with the feature from Palaye Royale was incredible. Devin's vocals mixed quite well with Remington's. The moments they would switch off throughout the song were blended and mixed so smoothly that you can hardly distinguish between the two if you weren't familiar with the differences in their vocals prior.
Then Devin made an Instagram post about the song "carry on for you," explaining the meaning behind the track and the music video. It was certainly an impactful read, giving a glimpse into his headspace, life, and creative process. It's definitely something everyone should check out. It made me appreciate the song and even the whole album more than I already did.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DOgkofFAJIR/?igsh=MXZteWRsbWRpY3BkcQ==
I don't have any particular drawbacks related to the overall sound of the album. However, I do dislike that it's been normalized in the music scene to release a hefty chunk of the album as singles before the intended release date of the album. I personally would rather have 1 or 2 singles and then wait for the rest of the album, no matter how far away that release may be. Though there is some leniency in this case because they started releasing singles in 2023, providing a large gap between each song.
However, I do think they made good choices as it pertains to the specific singles released. Each single helped set the tone for the album, with all my favorite tracks not being released until album day. It feels like a "saving the best for last" type of situation.
Aside from that, I also wish the album were one or two tracks longer. For example, I enjoy the track "Spin it" because the sound of a game wheel is quite satisfying, but I do wish it was an intro to a full song rather than its own separate track. However, those are just some nitpicky things that come from being a greedy consumer. The band worked really hard, and it's nice to see their social media posts about how proud they are of this album.
Overall, "The Wheel" is an amazing album through and through. It was definitely worth the wait, and I'm so happy to see I See Stars back in the music scene. Here's to hoping there's an album tour in the works. "The Wheel" is available on all streaming platforms, with physical copies available through Sumerian Records.