There’s nothing nostalgic about Wayside’s return—this can be a band that by no means forgot chunk. With Past the Pale, the Minneapolis rock veterans show their alchemic chemistry hasn’t dulled of their years away; if something, the formulation has been refined into one thing much more potent.
Dripping in that alt-90s swagger—the type that seeps into the synapses like a down-and-dirty aphrodisiac—Past the Pale pulls you beneath with primal rhythmic pressure. Draw back, and also you’re left with a stark meditation on life’s solely certainty: change. As a rule, these shifts pull us deeper into despair, a reality relayed via smoky, velvety vocal strains that ooze indie rock and roll charisma.
Think about Velvet Revolver and The Black Keys entering into uncharted sonic territory, and also you’ll get an concept of what Wayside have delivered right here. They aren’t simply reviving the sound that landed them on the 2002 Vans Warped Tour—they’re letting the years since carve new depths into their songwriting. With their full-length LP, Nightfall to Daybreak, set to drop in April, it’s clear that their road-worn reflections have given them extra to say than ever.
Wayside’s resurgence isn’t about reliving the previous—it’s about proving they’ve nonetheless acquired the muscle to tug listeners into the undertow. And if Past the Pale is any indication, they’ve acquired a lot extra the place that got here from.
Stream Past the Pale on Bandcamp now.
Evaluate by Amelia Vandergast