Their new singles ‘Chance of a Lifetime’ and ‘I Will Try My Best’ draw on these existentialist philosophies by juxtaposing joyful sounds with self-reflective lyrics. Reminiscent of the early 90s, the tracks pair traditional indie guitar riffs with metaphysical lyricism by looking at time and impermanence.

The duo, Chloe Little and James Taylor, adopted their name from the Wim Wenders film. The band nod to their cinematic name by embracing the thread between audio and visuals in their music video and website; their site resembles a multimedia mood-board and their music videos frame storytelling as both a visual and audio medium.

Using philosophised lyricism ‘Chance of a Lifetime’ considers the uncontrollable nature of
life. The line ‘I’m giving it my best but I’ll always let you down’ describes the frustrating, yet inevitable, experience of trying and failing. Little and Taylor emphasise the importance of taking opportunities as they come, suggesting that ‘time will wait for no one’. Because life is out of their control, the track warns against waiting to take opportunities; a chance of a lifetime is often missed by people who ‘save it for later and go and get a job’.

Comparable to the likes of Wolf Alice, ‘Chance of a Lifetime’ has a floaty, almost ephemeral, sound. The soft vocals are paired with a strong drum beat and catchy guitar riff, creating a cinematic listening experience.

The second track in the release, ‘I Will Try My Best’ adopts an Ian Curtis-esque performance style by Taylor. Musically the track builds to a joyful crescendo and resembles the coming-of-age media of the early 90s. Taylor’s voice matches the drums and guitars building in volume, supported by Little’s backing vocals.

Lyrically, time and impermanence are described as something that are both in reach yet intangible. Lines like ‘I was unstable, now I am on the mend’ suggest that personal instability can be resolved, yet this contrasts with other lyrics like ‘life is what it is, it just keeps going and going and going’. Using metaphysical realities to your advantage is emphasised in this song, demonstrated through lines like ‘success is the best revenge’.

Both tracks thematically and musically compliment one another. Wings of Desire are
evidently invested in using their music to explore philosophical questions, but this is not at
the expense of their sound. If this recent release is anticipatory of what is to come, I think
this band is one to watch.