As the band explains: “The album is a winding journey of introspection. It’s a call to dare to step out of your daily routine and explore new horizons you may have dreamed of long ago. Along the way, you will encounter motivation, disillusionment, success and failure, but at the end, it’s up to you to hear the world your way. You will come out a little stronger with each step you take.”
Songs like “Star Chaser” and “No Regret” tackle what it means to go through the trials and tribulations of life. But a prime example of this is their song “Dreamscape.” In it, the band implores the listener to take a hard look in the mirror and ask themselves why they may have given up on their dreams and desires, while also inviting them to take that first step in pursuing their goals. “Do you remember the last time you tried?/Try to live, try to feel, try to fly” the singer asks. “Do you think you’re still able?/To Start again a new battle/ Old or young, it doesn’t matter/ To look for time to be a dreamer.”
Aside from the album’s soul-searching themes, Mindless Crowd’s distinctive sound is one of the more captivating qualities of “Wanderlust.” A combination of melodic, beachy, indie-rock, vibes with the creamy, groovy, warm, soundscapes of psychedelic 70s rock make for an album that is just plain fun to listen to. Think about bands like Real Estate, Local Natives, Dayglow, Band of Horses, and The Strokes combined with Pink Floyd and the deep, baritone, vocal qualities of The Doors, and you’ll have a fairly good idea of what to expect.
To some people, Switzerland often conjures up images of cold snowy mountainscapes and icy winters, and while the album’s main theme has nothing to do with the band’s country of origin, “Wanderlust’s” vibrant sound gives you a sense of warmth that evokes the feeling of a perfect summer day. But it is this combined with what is truly at the heart of Mindless Crowd’s music – hope, encouragement, and the acceptance of past mistakes – that is enough to inspire the listener to want to seize every moment and tackle their dreams despite the risk of failure.
As the band puts it: “The path we choose is the wrong one until we accept that our past is what makes us strong. Do not hate your mistakes – you would have been worse without them.”
