The last time that fans of alt-pop act The Wrecks were treated to new music was when the band dropped their sophomore album, Sonder, in 2022. The project built on their off-center sound, with songs of mixed production styles, creative vocals, and expressive lyrics. It received raved reviews, with Ones To Watch claiming, “The Wrecks should be your new favorite alternative rock band,” and Wonderland mentioning, “The sweet sounds of indie-rock are unparalleled, and four-piece The Wrecks are crashing back onto the scene to prove it.” After touring and promoting the album, The Wrecks stayed quiet and kept everyone guessing their next move. It wasn’t until October of last year when they dropped new music, inviting fans to join them INSIDE:.
With INSIDE:, The Wrecks give us the first half of their upcoming album. Fans will recognize the open-hearted “Always, Everytime” and fed-up anthem “Speed,” which were previously released. Along with these two tracks, however, are four new songs that fit in just right, turning INSIDE: into what will be another engaging, beautifully complicated project for The Wrecks.
With these four new tracks, we are brought on a quirky ride, one filled with a pre-midlife crisis (“Why Can’t I Just Be Happy?”), a drive into the unknown (“Milwaukee’s Best”), and a very awkward date (“I Don’t Know”). The highlight, though, is the opening track, “I Didn’t Use To.” While frontman Nick Anderson has been open about his faults and self-doubt on past songs, this one gives us a full rundown. He mentions his guilty conscience and questions whether or not he talks too much and stays up too late. Yet, halfway through, he switches up the negative vibe and climbs into a better headspace. He begins to list all his nifty skills, like his four-octave range and “moderately fast” typing abilities. By the end, he goes from, “I think I was made wrong / But I didn’t use to,” to “I’m starting to think maybe I like / That I was made wrong / I didn’t use to,” realizing that it doesn’t matter if he is flawed or if he’s flawless—he’s just a person. A dynamically relatable person.
About the project, Nick shared,
“‘INSIDE:’ is about self-realization—coming to know myself on a deeper level through both the highs and the lows. At first, that awareness felt like a cage, but over time, it became liberating. Making music is a lot like solving a puzzle, and this record was the hardest one yet. I spent a year inside my house, writing without direction, struggling with feeling lost, disconnected, and exhausted. I didn’t want to go outside, so I kept trying inside. But through that process, I rebuilt my confidence. These songs are the result of that journey. They gave me a way out—and now I get to go outside and share them with the world. I hope that people connect with it in their own way, and if they do, then I set out to do exactly what I wanted to do.”
You can listen to INSIDE: here.
Catch The Wrecks on their biggest headline tour yet, ‘The INSIDE: OUTSIDE Tour,’ here.
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