40 years ago, the B-52’s were belting out party hits and making waves with an evolving rock/pop scene. Their distinctive sound made them iconic, which is part of the reason why the band is still able to tour to this day. Even more surprising than the lasting power of cheeky anthems like “Love Shack” and “Rock Lobster” is the current creative endeavors of its founding members.
Cindy Wilson has been an absolute bedrock foundation for the enduring successes of her band The B-52’s. When the news was dropped that she was releasing a solo album, many expected the performances contained on the record to be an echo of the former successful sound of the full band. Surprisingly though, she has approached an entirely new genre and branched out in a new and daring way with dream pop.
This is a far cry from her wailing vocals of days gone by, but it shows a softer and more intimate side of the talented musician. Instead of being accompanied by loud guitars and all manner of high volume instrumentation, Wilson now relies on subtle synthesizers, acoustic guitar work and relatively light drumming. This has created a dynamic that focuses your ears on the vocal presentation and profound lyrical substance, rather than its ability to get a crowd on its feet and emphatically dancing.
The title of this new album is Change, which in itself is a grand description of the difference former fans could expect from hearing the latest tracks. Even though it is solidly within this new niche of dream pop, the album itself has a variance in paces which can help it to appeal to a broader audience, especially cross over fans from the lingering successes of the party rock era Wilson thrived in. This is evident through lower tempo offerings on the record like “Sunrise”, to more melodic and upbeat tracks like “Mystic”.
Though Cindy Wilson is now 60 years old, she has continued to pursue her musical talents both in recurring shows and small tours with the B-52’s and with this new venture into an entirely different scope of the musical scene. She has comprised an entirely new group of musicians to help promote and tour with the songs from her unexpected new album. All four of these musicians and vocalists that assist both on the record and on tour with the icon hail from Athens, GA as well.
If you want to experience this new era of music for Cindy Wilson, her band will be touring small venues all across the United States throughout 2018. You can also expect a widespread tour from The B-52’s as well, featuring all of the original members (obviously including Wilson) throughout 2018. The new wave rock band will be celebrating 40 years as a group, and will commemorate the accomplishment with tour dates all across the country. You can find out more information about both of these tours, as well as how you can get your hands on Wilson’s new debut solo album, by visiting her website.
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