When I put this record on thisAM I had no intention of posting about it... but here I am on a Sunday morning with a cup of coffee listening to a record so I thought I'd just drop you a line.
I wasn't into Wheatus back in 2000 when "Teenage Dirtbag" was a thing. My life kept me pretty busy in those days and I guess I just missed it. Anyway, around 6 or 7 years ago I came across them somewhere online. I think it was Twitter. I was (and still am) on a quest to listen to just about anything and form my opinions based solely on the music rather than any pop culture significance or what my small strange social circle thinks... and something about Wheatus, and specifically the music they were making at the time.
The sort of DIY aesthetic (from the hand written mailer it came in, to the lack of a bar code on the jacket, to the production of the music) takes me to a time and place where bands make music for the love of making music. It's not about slick marketing and pushing units. It's about the music. It's the reason we all started doing this in the first place. For that I love this record.
Speaking of the music... the songs themselves are really good. They're personal, complex, and witty. Not just lyrically... the music itself shares those qualities. Instrumentation ranges from quiet acoustic guitars and vocals that sound like they were recorded in an empty room with the singer in one corner and the Mic in another to dirty, fuzzy, blown out walls of noise... vocal performance ranges from soft harmonies to what I can only describe as squeals. There are key changes, time changes, and overall tonal changes in a few of the songs. It's a lot of fun for a nerd like me to ride this ride.
Well... I didn't start writing until side 2, so we've reached the end of the record. That's my time for the day. Hope you're doing well and enjoyed this unexpected interruption.
Until next time... do cool shit. Listen to more records.
Cheers!
-squirrel
