\u00a0<\/em>hears the band\u2019s post-hardcore, emo and grunge elements bottled into one, serving a sound that is both familiar and elevated to a new standard.\u00a0<\/p>\n\u2018WIRED\u2019 was introduced to the world, initially, with a number of singles: first, a double release of the title track and \u2018Broken By Design.\u2019 The title track envelops resentful feelings backed by harsh melodies, its chorus \u2014 Fisher\u2019s echoes of \u201cI watched you\u201d haunt his cries of, \u201cDie, for a little while,\u201d \u2014 scathes against the emotions that we, as humans, are inherently consumed by. \u2018Broken By Design\u2019 is a gentle contrast to the adrenaline of the former, anchored in a glittering guitar tone and softened vocals, reminiscent of the overarching pop-punk tone from which Basement first debuted in 2010. The two songs are a reminder, too, of Basement\u2019s duality: their raucous urgency could easily turn into melancholy; though, they always remain a force to be reckoned with.<\/p>\n
\u2018The Way I Feel\u2019 followed in \u2018Broken By Design\u2019s footsteps, particularly, as the second single. With a lush chorus that feels all-consuming, it resonates like a distant memory. \u2018WIRED\u2019s final single, \u2018Head Alight,\u2019 is the most indie-rock-centric song on the record, diverging slightly from the customary Basement sound while simultaneously fitting right in with their previous works. If anything, it reasserts the fact that Basement will always leave room for surprises.<\/p>\n
As an opener, \u2018Time Waster\u2019 immediately hones the comfort of classic Basement tones: Fisher\u2019s wails, fuzzed-out breakdowns and a chorus that begs to be screamed along with: \u201cSo alive and so divine \/ I see it all go by.\u201d This energy carries on \u2018Deadweight,\u2019 with slight experimental elements that bring something new to the familiar; drawn-out guitar tones, for instance, introduce the song, before the chorus transitions into a languid drone, near-slow motion as the menace of the title track returns. When Fisher declares, \u201cYou are the clearest water \/ And I can see right through you,\u201d it is with a rage both subdued and visceral.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Basement\u2019s version of a ballad rings true on \u2018Embrace,\u2019 which hears Fisher\u2019s vocals soar as they mourn a lost love with various open-ended questions, above instrumentals reminiscent of a shoegaze-y melancholy. \u2018Embrace\u2019s tone evokes a similar feeling one could get while listening to the softer tracks on their 2012 album\u00a0Colourmeinkindness.\u00a0<\/em>\u2018Pick Up The Pieces\u2019 remains ridiculously catchy, from the distant clang of the drum to its emphatic closing, a bold declaration of, \u201cCompromise is suicide \/ We must create or die.\u201d<\/p>\n\u2018WIRED\u2019\u00a0<\/em>loses some of its adrenaline in the latter third of the album \u2014 the calm after the storm, perhaps. \u2018Satisfy\u2019 takes notes from \u2018Head Alight\u2019 in its near-pop-rock leanings, while \u2018Longshot\u2019 finds an anchor in an acoustic guitar. The repeated question of, \u201cAre you listening now?\u201d closes the album on \u2018Summer\u2019s End,\u2019 providing a hooky outro to a song that centers around a desire to truly be seen and heard. For what it\u2019s worth, by \u2018WIRED\u2019s end, we are cast under Basement\u2019s spell, once again.\u00a0<\/p>\n8\/10<\/strong><\/p>\nWords: Paulina Subia<\/strong><\/p>\n\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n