Kalistan

[Doc]

Wanderlust releases their Sophomore Album on ARC
Follow up leans heavier into rock and lounge
Sulari, Duchy of Suldanor
May 14, 5628


Wanderlust's "Exile in Paradise" brings more saccharine with more guitars

Davostag transplants Wanderlust have put out their long awaited sophomore LP on ARC. The album, titled Exile in Paradise delivers the excellent quality of sickly sweet lounge sophistipop that the band perfected on their first album. Like their debut Time and Again, Exile returns jazz-inflected smooth sophistication back to Kalistan's airwaves, but this time it leans a bit heavier into the experimental melodies and uses more guitars and keyboards as they move toward a more classic rock and roll sound.

"We've lived in Kalistan long enough to be influenced by the stuff we are listening to on the radio," said lead singer Elga Nilsson. "Four years is a long time, and we've had a lot of time to work with other artists who we really respect and get along really well with. I think it keeps a lot of the last album, but moves the sound forward. Someday, I imagine we will actually become alternative musicians."

Peer Markinsson said, "Well, thing is, myself and Lindy (Thomas Lindberg, the bassist) spent a lot of time listening to the Kalistani Thrash music and the alt folk and grit over this time- you could say we were absorbing a lot of Kalistan's canon. I spent more than 15,000 Rubles on vinyl albums and I have a library at home. Some of these songs we wrote you know, trying to capture some of that energy, but keeping our same style. But I can't see us continuing to do this forever. I think maybe our next record must have a little more of an edge." Lyrically, the album touches on romantic longing and platonic relationships. "The girl never gets the guy," said Markinsson. "Its fun to juxtapose this sort of melancholy with these upbeat and sunny melodies."

This record is actually a bit more straight forward, instrumentally than the debut record. "We had a lot of fun making this record, and working with Peter Zellig, who produced our first record with us," said Nilsson. "Pete wanted to try some different things in the studio. Last time, it was about how many different sounds we could bring to a song, and this time, we started messing with the structure and focus on the fundamentals of songwriting. There's still some interesting stuff, like strings and flutes, and a little bit of brass, but we even have a slide guitar on here. That is an instrument you will never hear back home."

Speaking of back home, Nilsson and Markinsson both said that the band named the album to mark the fact that they think they may end up scrapping plans to return to Davostag. "Well, since we've been here, the government back home has started doing some really kind of scary things," said Nilsson. "We are reading that they are practicing eugenics programs to experiment with population control. It sounds too much like a lot of other nations over there, like they are copying the fascists for some reason. I'm worried that if I return home, I might not even recognize the country anymore, but even so I might not be able to get out if I need to, so we might be stuck here." Markinsson said that the band has invited their respective families to come to Sulari for a visit "as soon as they can. And they should pack lightly. Sulari is far warmer than Davostag."

The band has released their first single from Exile in Paradise, called "I will never Know", and you can check the video out below. Also you can stream the entire record from ARC on your favorite Streaming site.

Exile in Paradise, by Wanderlust made at ARC-Sulari is out in stores now.

[Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bK5EPjGri4]

@KalistaniRawkMonthly