CD: 528664
RELEASE DATE: 2000
LABEL: Chrysalis

DISC-1
01. Sparks Are Gonna Fly
02. Gasoline
03. Lifeline
04. What We Want to Believe In
05. All of That
06. Idle Life
07. Mad Dog
08. Ballad of a Running Man
09. Creme Caramel

It's time that Catherine Wheel are widely recognized for their consistently solid, brilliant records and longtime fans have been eagerly awaiting this release. Wishville is certainly quite different from anything they've given us before, but different in style rather than content. The songs are reflective as always, but the music is darker. They have their staple pop on show here; it's just quite obvious that their recording style has changed. They employ more in the way of drum loops, and even distorted the drums. The guitars are at times a little less polished, but Brian Futter's guitar is still there, most noticeably his trademark 'harmonica lead guitar'. Rob's heartfelt voice is one of the most distinctive things about Catherine Wheel, and thankfully, he's still in good form. The overall sound of the album is considerably softer as well. Songs like "Mad Dog" would've felt more than comfortable on any of their previous albums, but they would have sounded much louder and fuller than they do on Wishville. Catherine Wheel is a band which has been much overlooked and oft compared to lesser bands (the most common being Bush, which has to be the most ridiculous comparison!). The Catherine Wheel are highly original, experimental, and so completely worth your time.