7/10

Few bands lean into their own mythology as completely as West Wickhams. The duo’s new EP 'Sakura' is a fever-dream shrine to impermanence, wrapped in candy-pink petals and wired with post-punk voltage. Jon Othello and Elle Flores take the Japanese concept of mono no aware (the beauty of things that don’t last) and twist it into a lo-fi, neon-lit lament for everything fleeting, fragile, and intoxicating.

From the jump, 'Sakura' feels like stepping into a dream where the ghosts are stylish, the synths hum like haunted power lines, and the drum machines tap out messages from the other side. Their aesthetic has always lived somewhere between a forgotten gothic paperback and a VHS of Liquid Sky, but this EP sharpens their worldbuilding into something spellbinding.

'Up to the Old Tricks' sets the tone with a woozy, jittering pulse that sounds like a postcard from a parallel universe. It’s catchy in a way that sneaks up on you, like déjà vu you can dance to. 'Ice Block' follows, colder and more crystalline, with Flores’ vocals drifting like frost over analogue haze. It’s melancholy, but with a glittering pop instinct that cuts through the chill.

'As the Camera Shuts' might be the EP’s most cinematic moment as it delivers something strange, shimmering, and beautifully tense, like a snapshot taken a second too late. And then there’s 'EQ The Viper', a serpentine sprint through warped electronics and night-crawling basslines; equal parts punk grit and synth-pop hypnosis.

Closing track 'Save Yourselves' is the closest thing to a warning shot they deliver, as if Patti Smith fronted a bedroom goth band after waking up from the same fever dream.

But what makes 'Sakura' so compelling is how West Wickhams fold their eccentric, eerie influences into songs that feel effortless, intimate, and instantly transportive. Their world is handcrafted, defiantly DIY, and richer for it. The EP’s limited-edition release, complete with obi strip and whimsical gifts, only deepens the sense that you’re stepping into a cult world you’ll want to stay in.

Cherry blossoms fall, beauty fades, moments slip away, but West Wickhams have captured something fleeting and made it hum with electricity.