Wordless Wonder Real Numbers

The Minneapolis-based Real Numbers started off in the late 2000s as a classic 1977-inspired punk band that balanced the melodies of the Undertones with the clipped delivery of the Buzzcocks. The trio of guitarist/singer Eli Hansen, bassist John Eggerman, and drummer James Blackfield released two records, the "Radio World" single in 2008 and a four-song EP in 2009, before they had a musical change of heart. Their new sound was inspired by the ramshackle guitar pop of C-86-era bands like McCarthy and Jasmine Minks, the mod action pop of Television Personalities, and 30 years of records by bands also inspired by those sounds. Their first release with this new approach was a self-titled eight-song EP released by hometown label Three Dimensional Records in 2010. The trio was next spotted on vinyl with 2011's "Tear It in Two" single on Floridas Dying Records. After a break, they returned in 2013 with their second 12" EP, Only Two Can Play. The time off hadn't changed the band much; they were still as scrappy and C-86-obsessed as before. Their reappearance on record was short-lived, and it took nearly another two years before they featured on the December 2014 Greatest of All: Time #1 tape comp done by Forged Artifacts and on their own "Up and About" single, which was released on cassette as part of the No Problems Records singles club in early 2015. Later that same year, Real Numbers added a new guitar player, Ian Nygaard of Howler, to the lineup and hit the studio with producer Matt Castore to start work on their first album, which they titled Wordless Wonder. The band put more care than ever into the recording process, even going as far as doubling rhythm tracks and adding guitar solos. Legendary American indie pop label Slumberland secured the rights to release the album, and Wordless Wonder hit the shops in October of 2016. ~ Tim Sendra