The Wrecks have done it again. Reckless (pun not intended) and surprising as ever, the Los Angeles-based indie-rockers have proven once again that they have come to stay with the release of their latest EP ‘Static’, a genre-defying gem waiting to be explored.
It‘s not unusual for songs to be about love. Actually, it might just be one of the most common themes used by lyricists all over the world. Listening through ‘Static’, it becomes clear very early on that Nick Anderson, lead singer and producer and most of the time sole writer of the enthralling quartet, has already experienced a fair amount of the many facets that love has. And looking at ‘Static’, that is exactly what it is about – love, its good and bad sides, and all the tumbling chaos that comes with it.
The EP takes the listener on an exciting rollercoaster ride – not just lyrically, but also musically. After the release of their debut album ‘Infinitely Ordinary’ earlier this year, which coined them as one of the most refreshing indie-rock bands out there, ‘Static’ turns the page to a new chapter of The Wrecks. One that doesn‘t convey to genres and does not let itself be put into a certain box.
For once we have the titular track ‘Static’, an almost dancey hit with a pulsing low beat about the constant war between love and fear. Then we‘ve got ‘I Hope It‘s Cold In New York’, a song that could be best described as a lovechild between a country ballad and a pure rock symphony. Moving on, we turn to ‘Good For Nothing’, the perfect post-breakup anthem, held up by striking guitar lines and an aggressive beat that draws the listener in. And lastly, the EP ends on the probably softest note possible with ‘Try to Remember’, the ultimate ode to love and how it sometimes hurts more than we would have ever imagined at first. With Anderson‘s serenading, almost hurtfully beautiful vocals, and a powerful guitar push at the end, it feels like the perfect close to the EP. One that shows that if love has to sometimes feel like hell, it might as well be made to sound like heaven.
Originally meant as stars of the deluxe version of the group’s debut album, ‘Static’ serves as a compilation of songs that have rightfully earned their own spotlight. For those who are already part of The Wrecks’ dedicated fanbase, the EP will feel right at home, and for those who have not yet had the chance to fall under the rockers’ spell, a listen through ‘Static’ might just do the trick. In the end, the EP feels like a new chapter to The Wrecks’ musical story. A story that has undoubtedly only just begun.
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Written by Laura Weingrill
GEM Magazine 