song reviews

THE WLDLFE asks us “How to Move On”

~ clarascassettes ~ Leave a comment

If you’re on Spotify and don’t follow your “Release Radar” picks, what are you doing with your life?

Jokes aside, it’s been a great discovery tool for me. A recent song that I found through there is “How to Move On” by THE WLDLFE and it’s been on repeat lately. So me being me, I wanted to talk about it!

It might be a little bit surprising that I like this song so much. It’s written from the perspective of a slouchy, jilted guy who from the get-go asks us why we’re questioning his masculinity. The appeal of the song is all in the contrasts. It opens up so bouncily despite the Nice Guy opening.

I also love the line, “It takes more than just a flex to be strong.” That seems like a winking self-awareness. The whole song oscillates between this confidence before the narrator drifts back into self-doubt: “I’m learning from the times that I’m wrong/One day you’re here, the next one you’re gone/And you leave me alone/Tell me how to move on.”

I think the title of the song captures this tension as well. It says “How to Move On” as if to echo a self-help guide or affirmation, yet the chorus repeats the narrator’s request for us to help him move on from this relationship.

Unfortunately the song is left open-ended so we’ll never know if he did.

Dissecting a Song: “Hero” by Weezer

~ clarascassettes ~ Leave a comment

I know that people review albums or EPs, but what about songs? ’90s slouchy icons Weezer released a new single called “Hero” and I’ve been wanting to dissect it. I feel like the setup had a lot of potential but the execution fell flat.

There’s an epic buildup, to be sure, what with the slightly screechy guitar reminiscent of early ’00s rock or Weezer’s other releases. I love the lyrics, too: “When I was a kid, I thought I’d save the world/Running ’round and chasing all the criminals/Swinging on a web, flying in the sky/Shooting lasers from my eyes.” The guitar punches through each line for full emo effect.

Then the chorus kicks in and that’s where, to me, the song falls apart. The guitar slows down and starts chugging into a minor chord. It’s not pulling any punches anymore. You have the vigor of the narrator reminiscing about his childhood and then he just retreats.

I like the second verse because it gives you examples of other superhero-esque concepts: becoming invisible (perfect for angsty listeners) or hammering down hard like you’re Iron Fist. Here the guitar is an ideal match since it’s going full throttle again.

The end of the song is the chorus again. It becomes repetitive and even echoing before it finally slows to a limp fade.

My rating? 3.5/5.