TRACK REVIEW: President – Wonder

Since winning a national Battle of the Bands and thereby a deal with Island Records, culminating in the release of their 1987 debut party pop track European Summer, Middlesbrough band President have existed in numerous incarnations. But here they are, nearly 35 years later, with the release of a new song, Wonder, and a new album, Haight Street To Mirror Lake.

Wonder may seem something of a far cry from European Summer, with its folky, emotive sound, harmonised vocals and ascending grandeur throughout – featuring the slightest touch of a Simon and Garfunkel-esque sound. Yet similarities are still to be found with previous material; a high-tempo beat fades in as the song ramps up, and the anthemic quality remains, though backed by orchestral sounds rather than 80s synth.