You Can’t Stay "INSIDE :" Forever: The Wrecks Let it All Out on “OUTSIDE”

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Written by: Sara Diaz

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Photo by: Neftali

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In the world where pop punk meets alt-indie rock, The Wrecks have finally dropped the wait on “OUTSIDE,” the second half of their larger and long-awaited concept project “INSIDE : OUTSIDE.”

Ever since debuting with style when their EP “We Are The Wrecks” released in 2016, The Wrecks have made a career out of taking the jumble of anxiety and problems that most of our brains face, into relatable lyrics everyone can scream along to. Fronted by Nick Anderson, bassist Aaron Kelley, Nick “Schmizz” Schmidt on guitar, and Billy Nally on drums, the Los Angeles-based alt-rock band thrives on the contradiction of extra personal lyrics turning into insanely explosive hooks: where heartbreak gets disguised as humor and moments of brutal self reflection always become the best anthems. Across evolution with albums like “Infinitely Ordinary” and “Sonder,” The Wrecks have pushed past the aggressive punk rock scene that defined them when they debuted and now experiment with all sounds from pop, electronic, and even country. The evolution has slowly come into focus with “INSIDE : OUTSIDE,” the ambitious two part project that turns that mess in your head into a world of its own. With “OUTSIDE, ” The Wrecks finally open the door. 

“INSIDE:” is a project that establishes someone who has spent so much time examining himself that self-awareness is something that becomes claustrophobic. Throughout the process of those songs, Anderson reveals he struggled with feeling lost and without direction, with this set of songs being the process of how he rebuilt his confidence. As a result, “OUTSIDE” becomes the aftermath of said process. 

“INSIDE :” asks who you are when nobody is around, and “OUTSIDE” asks whether that version of yourself survives when other people, expectations, relationships, and uncertainty, among other things, enter the picture again. 

If listeners are looking for their next feel good anthem, then they already found diamonds in the first track. The project starts with “Split Lip,” a song sounding as though it came straight out of the 2010s coming of age movie or GROUPLOVE’s 2011 project “Never Trust a Happy Song.” The song immediately hooks listeners in with its insanely infectious melodies to the point it makes you want to listen over and over again.  

There’s always one aspect of a band’s music that is so trivial to them it almost never leaves. For The Wrecks it’s insanely catchy drums, courtesy of Jersey drummer Billy Nally, over a spoken word verse. The band returns to the roots of “Freaking Out” to bring fans the second track of the project, “Don’t Look Surprised." In the song, Anderson sees a girl reminding him of someone he once loved. In any other instance, Anderson would’ve chosen to walk away after a good time or even walk away without doing anything. However, he sings that he stuck around and found exactly where he wanted to be, doing things the previous him wouldn’t have done, especially when he sings in the outro “And for a second I considered getting up and going home But instead I had a smoke… / And when I put down the keys when you thought I would leave / Don't look so surprised.”

After Anderson finds himself comfortable with this new girl, “Know It All” achieves the indie pop energy in a song all about the infatuation and starting stage of early dating: The clumsy yet classic and calculated moves of the prechorus where he sings “I'm gonna leave my shirt at your place so I can see you later.” and wanting to know everything there is to know about this new girl from her inner psyche to all her fears and desires. Unlike other songs by The Wrecks, this song swaps out hard hitting guitars and bass for a bright, electronic, and highly danceable song. The song mirrors the excitement of being with a new lover and stays with this ecstatic and hyperactive mood throughout.

The next song “Mint Tobacco” brings out a feeling that will honestly creep up on you. The song starts with a clean guitar and clean vocals as Anderson starts the storytelling of childhood. As Anderson starts talking about adulthood, the instruments tend to get grittier and louder with each line. By the time listeners get to the second pre-chorus the drums completely drown everything out but the vocals, almost as if they're listening to a heartbeat as Anderson sings “Nobody said it’d be this hard.” The line brings out such a genuine exhaustion that most people get to when reaching their breaking point. 

The project then wraps up in a nice little bow with “Hangin’ Out,” a song that starts with just Anderson and a guitar, almost as if listeners are sitting in his head and listening to his every thought. As the song leads into the chorus, every single instrument explodes and almost mimics the feeling of drowning out the thoughts of the previous verse in the attempt to finally escape that anxious reality and remember to appreciate the people around you. With the contagious beat and chanting of the bridge, it is almost certain that this will become the fan favorite on tour as fans sing away their worries in every mosh pit across the United States.

The Wrecks know exactly how to blend your thoughts into something so infectious you can’t help but keep both projects on repeat. As much as Nick Anderson would love to run away, there’s no one else who could better describe what most people go through on an everyday basis. 

If you enjoyed The Wrecks and the "OUTSIDE" project just as much as “INSIDE :” then you can’t miss out on the Finally Outside Tour across the United States this fall and can purchase tickets here: https://www.wearethewrecks.com/tour