There were two ways in which I discovered this band, and both were because of The Maine. I first heard of the band when I saw that Lupe, The Maine's primary photographer, posted some shots of Teenage Wrist's release show that they did at Chain Reaction in Anaheim, CA. A few days later, I saw that the latest episode of the 8123 Podcast (run by Garret and Pat from The Maine) was featuring Kamtin Mohager, formerly of The Chain Gang of 1974 and now of Teenage Wrist.
I decided that I ought to check the band out, considering I kept hearing about them. I found their debut album, Chrome Neon Jesus, and listened through from start to finish, not sure exactly what to expect. I knew very little of The Chain Gang of 1974, and what I did know was very electronic and synthesized. To say I was surprised with what I heard from Teenage Wrist would be an understatement.
Their sound is an intriguing mix of 90's rock and 00's emo music, a bringing together of two eras and scenes that were both present in my childhood (at different points). What makes the album unique, as I've discovered from listening to the album, is the sense of nostalgia it inspires. It's both a throwback to the music of the past and a look forward to the future, creating this weird sensation of having nostalgia for something that didn't necessarily happen. It's more of remembering a feeling, instead of a specific event, and it makes for an interesting listening experience of being familiar, yet not.
There's specific artists I hear in certain songs, the influences of the past manifesting themselves in melodies or instrumentation. "Rollerblades" has a bit of the bright alternative rock of Jimmy Eat World on their Bleed American album, which is one of my all time favorites (listen to "A Praise Chorus" for similarities to this song). "Swallow" reminds me a bit of a band Cold that I listened to a lot growing up (see "No One" for reference), and "Black Flamingo" feels like a more mellowed out version of something the Deftones might do (listen to "Be Quiet and Drive [Far Away]" for reference). You can hear both the Smashing Pumpkins and The Cure on a lot of the tracks, the same kind of alternating between heavier and lighter moments that the former does so well, a wall of noise and the absence of it, and the emotionality of the later.
The cool thing about all these musical references is that it doesn't in any way diminish the band. They're building off of the ground work all these bands and more laid down over the last 20, 25 years, and giving it their own twist. It's a bringing together of a wide variety of sounds and influences, which I think will lead to a varied audience and a bringing together of fans from different generations.
Another thing I've found I really enjoy about the album is the ability for you to listen to each song and find the aspects that are unique and notable about them, yet also listen to the album as a whole and find yourself getting lost in it. There's a relaxing, calming nature to the chill-out quality of the vocals, all over a more gritty instrumental that never gets too dark. The music isn't cheery, yet it never feels too sorrowful or emo, riding a fine line that leaves it in a space of it's own. "Stoned, Alone" is probably the biggest stand out song, alternating between quieter yet grooving verses and an upbeat, atmospheric chorus, and an outro that gives you the slightest hint of a breakdown. "Supermachine", the very next song, utilizes acoustic guitar for the verses and then again alternating to a bigger, wall-of-sound chorus that's similar yet quite different at the same time. That familiar, yet not feeling once again. The title track starts off soft with hanging clean chords and vocals but almost instantly switches gears into a drum crashing, guitar roaring, almost head-banging session. The album ends with the big, slightly melancholy "Waitress", a song that utilizes the wall of sound along with carefully inserted moments of quiet and echoing vocals to finish the album out with an epic feeling.
This is an album that you get more out of it the more you listen to it; I know in the week since I've discovered it, I've listened to it at least once a day, if not twice or three times through. I discover different layers and different parts that remind me of different artists and the web of influence grows larger and larger. It's got some grit, it's got some emotions, and it mixes of them together so well. Truly a job well done, and an exciting debut from a band that clearly has a lot of potential and (hopefully) more to come.
Rating: 5/5
Recommended: "Stoned, Alone", "Black Flamingo", "Waitress"
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