The Wanna Go’s Wasteoid: The Mar of Self-Doubt and Regret
Salt Lake City’s self-proclaimed “wannabe’s” have released their second EP on the eve of their second anniversary of performing as The Wanna Go, Aug. 26. They’re an alt band that gives off the energy of The Smiths, but with a stronger sense of melancholy. The band stated on their instagram that they wanted to release this album when they could show it off in person, but fate isn’t always kind. The album had been ready to go for a while, but “We wanted to wait until we could show it to you in person, but we’re tired of waiting,” states the band. It looks like this is also just the first installment of an undisclosed series in Wasteoid. If the rest of the album is anything as good as the five songs here, then it’ll be worth the wait.
The album tells the story of what most of us have experienced in our lives: destructive self-doubt, regret and its consequences. It starts with high-energy moments in ‘Red Devil’ where they take out their frustrations on who they think wronged them, but then flips onto themselves with introspection found in other tracks on the album. ‘Get Yourself Together’ emphasizes the pivot to introspection. It discusses viewing a toxic relationship from a post-romanticized position, being able to realize that neither party was a good fit for the other. “Jimmi Boy” acts like a parent or mentor telling you that you need to keep moving. It may seem apathetic at first glance, but only wants what’s best for you-- even if you don’t want the same thing. “Get Around” continues the trend of introspection, but from a present mindset rather than one in post-clarity. A person is stuck in a situation that they don’t want to be in, trapped by their own regrets. Just because they’re able to recognize what got them there in the first place doesn’t mean that they know how to move forward. It’s almost like a passionate plea to yourself, begging to get your shit together. Finally, we have “Midnight Runner”. The doe-eyed pair in the song want to find meaning through adventure or escape from their current situation, but the story quickly devolves into the cesspool of self-doubt that we all encounter in the presence of a difficult challenge. It’s quite a long song compared to the rest of the album, but it ends on the somber note of overthinking and regret that the rest of the album was bringing us to.
Overall this album’s message and music are great. While they aren’t able to perform right now, there are recordings of their live sessions on their instagram. You can also stream Wasteoid on Spotify.
