“Here and Now” by WINGTIPS

The Chicago-based duo of Vincent Segretario and Hannah Avalon — better known as WINGTIPS — craft a form of gothy synth-pop that’s influenced by the likes of Clan of Xymox and The Cure. The latter’s influence is especially felt on “Here and Now,” the dreamiest track on the duo’s 2019 debut album, Exposure Therapy.

Whereas a lot of Exposure Therapy revels in pulsing, club-friendly rhythms and icy synths (e.g., “Accidental Effigies,” “After the Storm”), “Here and Now” adopts a more introspective pose. Dreamy guitar textures define the song while Segretario’s voice resembles a less-affected (and less-British) Robert Smith. But the emotion is still present in both Segretario’s voice and lyrics, which reflect on regret and past relationships: “When here and now comes too late/Too late to start again/You’ll find me in another story/Tip top in the pouring rain.”

As is the case with the best of today’s goth/darkwave, “Here and Now” fully and hauntingly evokes the sound of another era without ever sounding like a cliché-riddled copycat.