Two years after their striking debut album Okay, Swedish duo Wy unveil today their sophomore full-length record Softie. About the 11-track record that they wrote and produce with help from Joakim Lindberg, they detailed:

[su_quote]’Softie’ is an attempt at proving that there is more than one way of being a functional human being. The album is about coping, growing out of your fears, learning how to distance yourself from your anxieties and the ups and downs that comes with being bipolar. ‘Softie’ is ultimately about releasing the pressure off of yourself and we want to encourage our listeners to do the same. We decided to make a record that was turbulent, back and forth and non-conforming, because we wanted our second album to hit you in the face rather than rock you to sleep or move you to tears.[/su_quote]

We have already heard almost one half of the record as the singles “Pavements,” “Softie,” “Tired II,” and “Swedish Summer” were previously unveiled. In order to celebrate the release of the album, the duo have shared the closing track of the album, “Tabs,” as new single. Listen to the song as well as the rest of the album below.

Breaking out of the sad pop mould, Wy – comprised of Ebba and Michel – return with the last offering ahead of their full sophomore release Softie. This new single, “Swedish Summer,” sets the reverb high and is tonally a step away from their debut album Okay. In their own words:

[su_quote]We were growing tired of the tempo of our debut album and this track really helped us break away from it and have more fun with our songwriting[/su_quote]

Having said this, “Swedish Summer” is still delivered with snarling vitriol, exposed and honest and remains powerful because of this. Thematically, the song is about having absurdly high expectations for yourself. With cutting and on the nose lyrics such as “I keep setting the bar higher than I can reach/ And when I reach I just let go” the song ebbs along with a deceitfully light touch. As always, Ebba’s voice is hauntingly tender but has real depth of tone. She possesses an elemental vibrato that resonates somewhere deep inside.

The constant synth under the driving guitars soothes that slightly abrasive rock edge, tilting the song into something akin to a DIIV or My Bloody Valentine dreamscape of visceral musicality. This sparkling and lilting synth lends the song a more jovial sound, but it still possesses lyrics that are “kind of dark” in Wy’s own words. There’s a rumbling power that stems from the pulsating deep and low rhythm guitar, complimenting the celestial synths. It’s smart sad pop delivered with composure and assuredness, a faultless final single to lead into the release of Softie. Watch below.

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Swedish duo Wy is back with a new video, released in anticipation of their upcoming album, Softie. Comprised of real-life couple Ebba Ågren and Michel Gustafsson, the indie pop wizards have churned out a piece that’s equal parts woeful and wonderful. Despite the name of the track, “Tired II” is anything but worn out. The sonic elements provide a dynamic backbone for the stunning visuals, which given an intimate look at the relationship between the two of them with low-quality shots of the couple going about their business: brushing teeth, walking on cobblestoned streets, sleeping, and even cutting Ebba‘s hair. Compounded by Ågren‘s roaring, chortling, harmonizing, Kate Bush-like vocals, this track is a certainly a slam dunk.

With their standout debut LP Okay, Wy managed to build a reputation on their ability to create pockets of lightness within sonic darkness. This single points towards more exploration into the relationship between hard and soft on their upcoming album. In a statement released by the band, Ågren said of the video, “We filmed the video during the fall and winter of last year, which was a really tough time for both of us. I had a job that was killing me, we broke up with our current record label, and we fought with our friends, we were forced to leave our apartment and cancel our tour. It was just a lot at the same time.” She adds, “We wanted to balance out the drama of the song with something simple and personal… This is the first time one of our videos is showing Michel how I see him, and how he sees me.” Certainly, this juxtaposition is apparent– the lugubriousness of the lyrics hitting against the affection that radiates from the visuals creates this dichotomy. Wy‘s new video seems like less of a music video and more like a summer’s day after a big storm– as the dark clouds roll away, the world relearns how to be beautiful and bright again.

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A few weeks after their nervous comeback single “Pavements“, Swedish indie pop duo Wy are unveiling today the second single and title track of their upcoming sophomore album.

Just like the rest of the project, “Softie” was inspired by the turbulence of human existence and by Ebba‘s experience of being bipolar. Thematically, it’s a logical follow-up to “Pavements” as the song was dealing with depression and starting by “who the hell made me like this?”. Sonically softer around the edges, the aptly named “Softie” remains a disconcertingly raw testimony loaded with vulnerability and a willingness of trying to become a better person. About the track, they detailed:

[su_quote]’Softie’ is an attempt at proving that there is more than one way of being a functional human being. The album is about coping, growing out of your fears, learning how to distance yourself from your anxieties and the ups and downs that come with being bipolar. ‘Softie’ is ultimately about releasing the pressure off of yourself and we want to encourage our listeners to do the same.[/su_quote]