Wussy’s What Heaven Is Like is a ten-track album built on big guitars, loud vocals, and a refusal to play it safe. It is a rock record that wants to sound like it matters, and mostly succeeds. The Cincinnati band has spent years building a reputation as one of the best live acts around, and this record tries to capture some of that energy in the studio. It doesn’t always land, but the peaks are high enough to justify the whole thing.
One Per Customer Through Tall Weeds
The opener, “One Per Customer,” sets the tone with a slow build and a chorus that feels both desperate and triumphant. It is the kind of track that announces a band’s intent without overreaching. “Cake” follows with a more straightforward rock groove, a song about failure dressed up as a simple riff. “Gloria” slows things down again, turning a familiar name into a meditation on mortality. It is the album’s most atmospheric moment.
“Tall Weeds” closes this stretch with a punk edge that feels sharper than the songs around it. The title track, “Heaven Is Like,” arrives early and earns its place as one of the record’s highlights. It is a driving anthem that could fill a room, and it does not waste a second of its four-and-a-half-minute runtime.
Firefly Through Oblivion
“Firefly” is a quieter affair, a song about hope that never tips into sentimentality. It is one of the record’s more restrained moments, and it works because the restraint is earned. “Aliens in Our Midst” picks the pace back up with a riff that sounds like it could belong to a band half its age. “Skip” is a shorter, sharper track that leans on repetition to make its point. It is not the best song here, but it is the most immediate.
“Oblivion” closes this stretch on a note of quiet dread. The title says it all, and the music backs it up. It is a slow, brooding track that rewards patience.
Nope Through Black Hole
“Nope” is the album’s most aggressive moment, a song that refuses to sit still. It is the track that comes closest to capturing the live energy that defines this band. “Black Hole” ends the record with a slow, crushing finale. It is the longest track here, and it earns that length by building from a whisper to a roar.
What the Record Gets Right
- The title track, “Heaven Is Like,” captures the band’s live intensity perfectly.
- “Nope” is the closest the record gets to pure adrenaline.
- “Firefly” shows the band can slow down without losing focus.
What the Record Needs
The middle stretch, particularly “Skip” and “Oblivion,” drags slightly. They are competent songs, but they do not match the highs around them. The record is at its best when it commits fully to a mood, and it sometimes hesitates there.
| Track | Length |
|---|---|
| One Per Customer | 4:46 |
| Cake | 3:32 |
| Gloria | 4:37 |
| Tall Weeds | 4:19 |
| Firefly | 4:51 |
| Aliens in Our Midst | 4:01 |
| Skip | 3:52 |
| Oblivion | 3:40 |
| Nope | 4:53 |
| Black Hole | 4:19 |
Final Word
What Heaven Is Like is a strong, uneven record from a band that knows exactly what it wants to be. The highs are high, and the lows are forgivable. It is a record that rewards attention, even when it stumbles. Wussy have made a statement here, and it is a bold one.
- One Per Customer4:46
- Cake3:32
- Gloria4:37
- Tall Weeds4:19
- Firefly4:51
- Aliens in Our Midst4:01
- Skip3:52
- Oblivion3:40
- Nope4:53
- Black Hole4:19
