As
the B-52s entered the home stretch of their farewell tour,
Cindy Wilson released
Realms, an album that bridged her years with the legendary band and the musical world she created on her debut solo album,
Change. The dreamy space-age pop she delivered on
Change clearly delineated her as a solo artist, revealing more colors to her voice and music than even the most dedicated
B-52s fans might have imagined. On
Realms, she adds a little more of her former band's joie de vivre to the mix without straining to recreate their inimitable chemistry. This union of then and now is most apparent in
Wilson's vocals. Instead of the whispery delivery that made
Change such a departure from what she'd done before, her bright, full-throated singing on "Midnight"'s opening invitation to party recalls the soaring bliss of "Roam," "Deadbeat Club," and other
B-52s favorites. On the like-minded "Daydreamer," she's a creature of the night with a voice like a sunbeam. Working once again with
Change producer
Suny Lyons and with
B-52s touring drummer
Sterling Campbell,
Wilson presents a more vibrant version of the '80s-influenced synth pop she explored on
Change and her early EPs. "Overboard"'s squiggly electronics call to mind
Gary Numan and
Devo; "Blossom"'s softly sleek arpeggios evoke
New Order; and the grinding electro-pop of "Delirious" rivals
Goldfrapp when it comes to glamorously mellow dancefloor grooves.
Wilson tempers
Realms' festive mood with gorgeous reveries that build on
Change's ethereal moments. She borrows some of dub's spacious bounce for the lilting "Wait," while the streaking synths that back her on "Within" serve as a reminder of her fondness for
Broadcast (whom she covered on her 2016 EP,
Sunrise). When she touches on dream pop, it makes for some of the album's most sparkling highlights. "Hold On"'s zero-gravity romance rivals
Beach House and the work of
Julee Cruise, who stepped in for
Wilson when she took maternity leave from the band's touring duties in the '90s. As she sings "No one can follow you to places unknown" on the gauzy finale, "Not Goodbye," she captures the bittersweet blurring of endings and beginnings. With its seamless blend of buoyant and introspective moods -- and past and present --
Realms is a graceful portrait of a turning point in
Wilson's life and an impressive addition to her work as a solo artist. ~ Heather Phares