There is a fine line between homage and indulgence — and on Wings of Desire, Hemi Hemingway struts across it in slow motion, hair slicked, heart open, and synths blazing.
This is straight cheese — and I mean that as high praise.
Built on a glowing chassis of retro-futuristic pop, the record leans hard into 80s synth-pop and new wave aesthetics: gated snare, bright melodic synth hooks, lush pads, and dramatic, emotive vocal delivery. Hemingway’s baritone — rich and cinematic — gives the album weight and identity. Fans of the theatrical croon-meets-cool lineage of artists like David Bowie, the cabaret-style cut of Marc Almond from Soft Cell, and the romantic sheen of The Last Shadow Puppets will feel right at home.
The title track, Wings of Desire, opens the album with instant intent: four-on-the-floor, broad synth textures, sax flourishes, and a hook built to be sung with arms wide open. It sets the tonal palette — yearning, glossy, and unapologetically big. The production embraces classic techniques associated with giants like Depeche Mode and A-ha — especially that punchy gated-reverb drum sound — but frames them with modern clarity rather than pure pastiche.
The City’s Tryna Break My Heart pushes even further into neon-lit nostalgia, pairing irresistibly fun percussion with spacious, statement piece guitar. It feels urban, restless, and danceable — one of the album’s most immediate cuts.
Desiree lands as an emotional centerpiece. Nostalgia and grief intertwine in a chorus that practically begs for audience participation. The repeated calls of the name feel less like narration and more like invocation — searching, pleading, cathartic. It’s one of the record’s strongest melodic moments.
The heartbreak arc arrives right on schedule with Promises (feat. Georgia Gets By), where Georgia Gets By adds a contemporary vocal counterbalance. The blend of voices against suspended synths and a scene-stealing sax solo makes this track feel destined for late-night drives and emotional spiral soundtracks.
(To Be) Without You rides a bass ostinato reminiscent of pop’s darker dance-floor lineage — a subtle nod toward the shadowy groove tradition popularized by artists like Michael Jackson in his moodier moments — while still sounding distinctly Hemingway.
From there, the album widens its stylistic palette without breaking cohesion: disco undercurrents on 6th April ’13, funk-kissed energy on Long Distance Lover (slick, sexy, and highly replayable — an absolute standout), and deep-seated emotional release on If Love Is A Winter’s Day, which feels engineered for cry-sing-along therapy.
Oh, My Albertine (feat. Vera Ellen) introduces a welcome textural shift, blending dream pop and alt-country hues. Vera Ellen matches Hemingway’s emotional intensity beautifully, with powerful melodic vocals and pedal steel combining to create a melancholic, slow-burn aesthetic to iconic effect.
Closing track No Future No Future No Future brings the album home with driving guitar-synth interplay and a message that lands with more bite than the glossy surface first suggests. It’s a strong final statement and confirms the record’s careful sequencing and flow — this is an album you can play through, not just cherry-pick.
Released via PNKSLM Recordings, Wings of Desire understands exactly what it is:
melodramatic, danceable, heart-forward pop that embraces grandeur over restraint. The current 80s revival often aims for cool detachment; Hemingway goes the other way — full feeling, full colour, no half-measures.
If you’re nursing a breakup, craving drama, or just want to dance through existential dread in excellent style, this record delivers. Boldly. Repeatedly. With saxophone.
Highly recommended.
