Cork outfit Flywheel first emerged in the 90s, releasing their debut album She in 1996 before stepping away for an extended period. Now, after reforming during the pandemic years, they return with ‘CryBaby’, a single that feels like a sharpening of everything that made their early work so compelling in the first place.
Ann Marie Ryan’s vocal delivery is cool, restrained and almost weightless, floating above a far more physical backdrop of layered guitars and insistent rhythm. And it’s that contrast gives ‘CryBaby’ much of its pull. The vocals seem to hover in one space while the rest of the band push forward underneath them, creating a tension between dreaminess and momentum throughout.
Mark Tangney and Kieran Curtin’s guitar work is especially effective, building dense, shimmering walls of sound without losing definition. There’s plenty here for listeners drawn to shoegaze and dream-pop, but the post-punk undercurrent keeps the track moving with purpose.
But rather than simply recreating the washed-out textures associated with early-90s alternative music, Flywheel bring a heavier, more controlled edge to the arrangement. Andy Killian’s production gives the song real clarity, allowing the layers to feel expansive without turning muddy.
As the first taste of an upcoming five-track EP, ‘CryBaby’ also suggests that Flywheel’s reunion has developed into something far more substantial than a brief return.
Flywheel sound comfortable with their history while also refusing to be defined entirely by it, and ‘CryBaby’ benefits from that confidence. It’s hazy, forceful and beautifully balanced, offering a reminder that shoegaze works best when there is something solid beneath all that blur.