by bailey ewers-smith

***1/2

11 songs

34 minutes

Label: Marshall Records

Genre: Alternative rock

Band members: Mimi Jasson; Anya Pearson; Lucy Katz

Produced by: Ali Chant

You Wish is the third album from London punk band Dream Nails, but the first with their new lead singer — a familiar face for fans of their previous album Doom Loop. Star of their second album's iconic cover, Mimi Jasson steps up to the plate with her bass guitar in tow to replace frontperson Ishmael Kirby, downsizing the group from a four-piece to a trio.

Dream Nails are no strangers to lineup changes. Since forming in 2015, eight members have been a part of the band. Jasson herself joined in 2017 as a permanent replacement for a temporary member. With another new lead singer, all three of Dream Nails’ albums will have had a different vocalist.

Walking into this album, the exit of predecessor Kirby has not left Jasson with an easy task. Doom Loop was something truly incredible. It showed itself to be one of the best punk releases of 2023, and is still one of the best of the decade so far. Listeners were given the gift of an (almost) no-skip tracklist. Along with the album's production and lyrics, it was Kirby's masterful vocals and punk energy that made that happen. For Dream Nails, especially for their new lead vocalist, a very high bar they was set.

So, does You Wish live up to expectations? Sort of.

Mimi Jasson, Anya Pearson, and Lucy Katz of Dream Nails’ 2026 lineup

Dream Nails have transitioned from a riot grrrl sound to, in their words, “new age hard rock.” A staple of new age music is songs that are able to create an otherworldly, ethereal feel. Applying minimalism and strong instrumentals are common ingredients for making this happen. In their single 'The Information,’ the quality of these ingredients is Michelin-star worthy. A wonderful retro electric opening is followed by the simple-yet-beautiful richness of Lucy Katz’s drumming and Anya Pearson’s guitar (the riff in the chorus is so good). They present this brilliant balance between making sure you know they’re there, while, at the same time, not breaking the song's minimalist nature. ‘The Information’ is a perfect example of where Jasson performs best as a vocalist. We see her employ a similar approach to that of punk singers like Yard Act's James Smith: that in-between of singing and talking. It's a style that is intentionally stripped-back for complimenting backing tracks of rich sounds. When Jasson does this, she's in her element. From start to finish, 'The Information' is a sonically magnificent “new age hard rock” trip. This is by far the standout of the album.

Rich instrumentals can be found throughout You Wish, with it being the album’s greatest strength. Fellow singles 'Organoid,’ and 'House of Bones,’, as well as the deep track 'Move Like an Animal' instantly come to mind. 'Organoid,’ the LP's heaviest feature, is a good song for those who prefer the band's more 'riot grrrl' days. Singing along to the 'House of Bones' chorus at the album’s midpoint is also a fun time.

The body of this album (all the way from tracks three to nine) is where You Wish is at its best. But to get there, you need to get through the album's weaker opening.

The way an album opens is a very important thing to get right. Their sophomore album hits this criteria straight away, hooking you with 'Good Guy', which straps you in for the magnificent punk-rock ride that is Doom Loop. Once finished, you're more than happy to start again from the beginning.

Unfortunately, we don't get this from album number three.

We enter You Wish with the interlude-style track 'The Only Way Out Is Through,’ which is a messy beginning. We move onto 'This Is Water,’ a mostly uninteresting song that is, to be frank, hard to listen to at points. This is, unfortunately, where we see the weaker points in Jasson's vocals. While great at performing laid-back and quieter styles, her bigger vocals are inconsistent throughout the album. The singing for “I'm swimming” hurts the chorus of 'This is Water.’ The album’s penultimate and final tracks, ‘Zeros’ and ‘A Sign,’ are also low points in the vocal department, as well as the shouts of “shut up” in the 'Organoid' post-chorus. These could've been a great tribute to their riot grrrl past, but instead they come across as awkward. They end up sounding like the sort of shout you randomly do while having fun in the studio, which you follow up with a giggle.

But taking on the role of lead singer is no small feat. Having never intended on being the singer for Dream Nails, Jasson deserves nothing but respect for stepping up! Plus, as mentioned before, songs like 'The Information' indicate where her strengths are.

Nothing but respect to Mimi Jasson, Anya Pearson, and Lucy Katz for taking on a new sound

When breaking down You Wish, reviewer Kate Macbeth put it best: “there is no denying that You Wish is a transition record.” You can tell this is an album released during a strong time of change for the London trio, as certain things work, and others not so much. We see what suits Jasson's vocal abilities, but also where they falter. We have 'The Information', a great start for their new sound. However, listeners are then let down by the record's underwhelming lyricism.

Ultimately though, You Wish is a really good record. A lot of great things can be found in this piece. But when you're following up a stellar album like Doom Loop, you end up, justifiably so, feeling hungry for more.

Fortunately, it's evident this current lineup has a lot of potential — so this hunger should end up being satiated!

Dream Nails’ Latest LP is Good, But You Wish It Was Better

by bailey ewers-smith

***1/2

11 songs

34 minutes

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