Track of the Day: Fräulein - 'Wait and See'

Fräulein's first release of the year, ‘Wait and See’, discusses “how we manage symptoms of anxiety instead of treating the cause of our discomfort,” explains lead vocalist guitarist Joni Samuels.

'Wait and See' is the latest release and the first of this year for the phenomenal wall of sound that is the duo Fräulein. Samuels makes up one half of  the Northern Irish/Dutch collaboration, while her bandmate Karsten van der Tol, provides drums.

The pair's signature cathartic rock is at the front and centre of their new track 'Wait and See' which immerses listeners in a My Bloody Valentine-esque cocoon of fuzzy rock.

However, in spite of the there's no compromise on melody, and the track opens with a catchy riff that wouldn't be out of place in a pop punk song were it not for the heavy distortion. The riff dips off into some loose drums, which only serve to enhance Samuels apathetic vocals.

The chorus kicks in at full force with a resounding and anxiety fuelled release, and brings that blurry guitar riff back round, and each time the verses slip back into Samuels easy vocals, you anticipate the chorus more and more.

Cutting distortion with angst, 'Wait and See' bring a neo-grunge to the zoomer generation, and it doesn't let up on melody.  The track is angsty and catchy, a tough line that the pair masterfully walk.

The release of 'Wait and See' is also accompanied by the release of a music video, which the band described on their Instagram as the story of how the pair won a teddy bear at a Christmas Market: "We won, adopted and then forgot our son at Winter Wonderland and he… you’ll have to watch the video to see the rest".

The music video features a cheerful Christmas Market scene artfully captured using a VHS style camcorder, lending an appropriately 90s feel  to the grungy track.

Directed by Charlie Barclay Harris, 'Wait and See' features baggy jeans, oversized leather jackets, tacky neon Christmas lights and without the hint of a smartphone, you'd be forgiven thinking the music video is an MTV cut for Mazzy Star.