Visionary by We Have Band: A Chaotic Love Letter to Indie Rock
Alright, let’s cut the crap. Visionary by We Have Band isn’t your typical indie rock snoozefest—it's a wild ride that punches you in the face with creativity and then kicks you while you're down. Released back in 2011, this UK-US hybrid album under labels like Naïve and Not On Label is basically seven remixes of one song... but somehow it works. Yeah, I said it. It freaking works.
First off, shoutout to “Visionary (We Have Band Longsighted Remix)”—this track slaps harder than most bands’ entire discographies. The synths are glitchy as hell, like someone dropped their keyboard down an escalator, but it’s so damn catchy you can’t help but bob your head. This remix flips between moody basslines and these explosive bursts of energy that make you wanna scream at strangers on the street. I mean, who even needs lyrics when the beat hits this hard? Every time I hear it, I’m reminded why indie rock doesn’t always have to play it safe.
Then there’s “Visionary (Instrumental)”, which feels like the band just decided to strip everything bare and see what happens. Spoiler alert: magic. Without all the bells and whistles, this version lets the raw bones of the track breathe. It’s haunting, almost cinematic, like walking through a deserted city late at night. You feel small, insignificant, but weirdly alive. If Quentin Tarantino ever made a movie about existential dread, this would be the soundtrack.
Look, I get it—remix after remix might sound lazy, but here’s the twist: it’s not. Each take on “Visionary” brings something new to the table, whether it’s a punchier rhythm or some ambient layering that makes you rethink the whole damn thing. Sure, it’s repetitive, but repetition done right can feel hypnotic rather than boring. Like listening to rain hit your window during a storm—you don’t mind hearing the same sound over and over because it changes subtly each time.
So yeah, Visionary is chaotic, messy, and unapologetically experimental. But isn’t that what music should be sometimes? Screw perfection; give me passion any day. And honestly, if you’re gonna release an album with eight versions of the same song, they better all kick ass—and for the most part, these do.
Final thought: Listening to this album feels like being stuck in a room where someone keeps flipping light switches on and off. Annoying? Maybe. Fascinating? Absolutely. Now go listen to it before someone tells you how pretentious you are for liking it.
