Usually, when I’m listening to new music, I’m able to piece together how experienced an artist is by their sound. The ones that have been around the block a few times tend to reflect their musical maturity in their work. However, hearing London duo 88/89 and their track The Man for the first time subverted this theory.

There was something instantly familiar about it; I was blown away to find out it was their debut single. It was supposedly the weakest track from their upcoming debut EP, too.

My hopes were high for their next release, and Wide Open certainly delivers.

Each element wears its influences with pride, but comes together to deliver something wholly unique. The vocals are evocative of The Temper Trap and the production has a smooth MGMT feel. Initially, the guitars feel very Nick Zinner from Yeah Yeah Yeahs, but that all gets flipped upside down with the solo, where the song comes into its own. Performed over a minimal beat and layered with effects, it oozes cool.

Wide Open is a track about moving past insecurity and fear – right now, we need it more than ever.

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