Xanadu

This morning, Xanadu released their latest tune, Wet Lips. The five-piece London band are reasonably new to most people’s radars, with this being only their 9th released song, and the first since the release of their debut EP, ‘OX’. On ‘OX’, there is a mix of male and female vocals, which feels somewhat trendy as many bands look to capture the magic Fleetwood Mac did with similar ideas.

The song itself stands out in Xanadu’s brief discography. Most of their material before this felt very indie pop and soul. Reviver, their biggest hit thus far, is very Olivia Rodrigo and has vocals strikingly similar to Nieve Ella. Wet Lips, however, leans much more into a punk feel, with dirty-tone guitars ringing underneath and some much more pressing drums, think Beabadoobee’s recent stuff. The female vocal over a heavier instrumental is a sound I have always enjoyed. The likes of Avril Lavigne and Hayley Williams have shown the world the potential for female rockstars, and it now feels like Xanadu could be pivoting to follow more in their footsteps.

With a second EP already announced to be releasing in March of next year, it is interesting to see where the band go from here. The music is good, don’t get me wrong, but a young band needs consistency. When you Google Xanadu, they are described by 4 different genres of music, and I’d argue that Wet Lips doesn’t fit into any of them. They’re a talented bunch of musicians who I feel need to pick a direction and focus on growing in that market. Right now, I feel like their live shows, the most important part to any band, could feel a bit disjointed both on stage and in the crowd.