For the record, the origin of The Wrecks might be one of my favorite things about the band. Hailing from Thousand Oaks, California, the alternative pop-rock band has slowly been making a name for themselves in the indie/alternative music scene. However, they might not have found success at all if it wasn’t for the self-produced singles that they recorded while sneaking into a studio back in 2016.
After forming the band a week prior and with a total budget of $0, the group had no way to record their music effectively. However, when a friend of theirs mentioned they were house-sitting for a place with a home studio, they took advantage of the situation and snuck in at night to record three songs in three days. Those songs now make up their self-titled debut EP “We Are The Wrecks” and created a foundation for the band’s career.
Despite the initial popularity from their first release and an additional EP that came in 2018, it took the group nearly four years to release their debut album “Infinitely Ordinary.” Premiering on May 1 of this year, all 8 tracks on the LP are dynamic and make a lasting impression. Influence from the likes of The Strokes, Weezer and Cage The Elephant makes the record fun and authentic while also touching themes of relationships, love and the chaos of life.
“Freaking Out” might be one of the most unconventional songs to start an album. The opening lines, “In the bathroom, on my back / There’s a picture on the wall of Kanye West / He’s staring at me, he’s staring at me / I’m freaking out, I’m freaking out,” are humorously delivered and probably quite confusing if you’ve never listened to The Wrecks before, but when the chorus comes along, the band’s true sound shines through. Upbeat electric guitar and bass riffs create an instantly catchy melody that seems to oppose the lyrics. It’s a song that’s incited a few love/hate reactions and definitely requires a few listens to be appreciated fully.
The subject changes in the next few songs to focus on both the good and bad aspects of relationships. “Feels So Nice” explores that feeling at the beginning of a relationship when everything is going well, featuring the lyrics “‘Cause it feels nice / It feels so good / When we’re dancing around in your bedroom / And it feels nice / If it’s so good / We can live just like this if you want to.” That feeling doesn’t stay for long, however, as tracks “Out of Style” and “Fvck Somebody” speak to the bitterness of breakups and literally wishing your significant other would cheat on you so you have an excuse to leave the relationship.
Despite the interesting subject matter, the music is irresistibly catchy and fun to listen to. The fifth song on the album, ironically named “Four,” is a beautifully written piano ballad that is authentic and vulnerable. “Four” is one of my favorite songs on this record for the way it breaks up the style and sound. The mood changes again with tracks 6 and 7, “We All Get Lonely” and “This Life I Have.” The Wrecks show their angsty punk-rock side with saturated electric guitars and drum-heavy tempos. Finally, the album’s title track “Infinitely Ordinary” closes out the record with a classic alternative/indie rock tune that makes it hard not to sing along.
The Wrecks have come a long way from sneaking into home studios to record in the middle of the night. They’ve developed and diversified their sound while emerging as one of the up and coming alternative bands to keep an eye on. Despite taking nearly four years to formulate a debut album, I think they’ve succeeded in pushing themselves in the right direction and have given fans a reason to be excited about them in the future. Although “Infinitely Ordinary” is just over 22 minutes long, the record speaks for itself and is sure to give the listener something to relate to.
