Entering a New Era of The Wrecks with “Freaking Out”
Written by Mia Andrea
Graphic: Emily Lantzy
After nearly a year and a half of teasing at new music, LA indie-rockers The Wrecks released “Freaking Out.” Not only did the band announce the single’s release date at the beginning of the month, but they also included another major piece of news: their newest record deal with Big Noise Music Group. Fans were first introduced to “Freaking Out” during the band’s 2018 fall headlining tour, and based on the abundance of all-caps tweets and exclamation point-filled comments about the announcements, the fans couldn’t contain their excitement for this energetic track.
While the band doesn’t stray too far from their own original sound, there’s no doubt that “Freaking Out” takes a unique turn that differs from the sounds of Panic Vertigo. The song begins with a deep noise that resembles the static feedback of an electric guitar amp, but soon transitions into vocalist Nick Anderson’s spoken, yet rhythmic lyrics. As he tells the tale of what seems like a drug trip or the side effects of a crazy night, vocal harmonies linger in the background alongside a dynamic series of bass lines, guitar riffs, pounding drums and electrifying synths.
The sing-along-worthy chorus soon arrives, and it definitely lives up to the energy found during the live performances of “Freaking Out.” Every note within the chorus, as well as the rest of the song, has a purpose. It’s the melody that gets stuck in your head and begs for one more listen. It’s the hook of the song that makes you feel the sudden need to roll the windows down, turn up the stereo, and drive fast down an empty road.
The song’s rollercoaster of sound and emotion never slows down, but instead, it builds up to a bridge that contrasts with the verses. Anderson captures a raw moment of reflective thoughts as he sings, “I’m all alone, afraid of my life. I just want a home, wouldn’t that be nice?” His desire for acceptance and overcoming his own life is paired with symphonic sounds, which highlight the song’s sadder lyrics. Then, the song experiences a gradual shift into the electronic instruments that draw the listener back to the chorus one last time.
The Wrecks also released the lyric video for “Freaking Out” to accompany the single’s release. But in the band’s true fashion, they couldn’t just create any ordinary lyric video with simple background visuals. Instead, they gathered stock images, pictures of themselves and psychedelic backgrounds that suit the song’s visual lyrics and create a comedic appeal.
With the release of “Freaking Out” and more music on the way, The Wrecks are showing the world that they’re ready to be adventurous and step outside of their comfort zone. For now, you can stream “Freaking Out” on Spotify and watch the lyric video on YouTube.