Hideaway by Wavves
by Lana Fleischli
Last week I was ready to find some music to listen to so that I would have something to write about, but then I got a concussion. Yeah, that really sucked and it put a bit of a damper on listening to music, as I was initially incredibly noise-sensitive. Cut to a few days later I find out that I am going to see the band Wavves with my friend Sadie. I took this as an opportunity to listen to something new.
I had never heard of Wavves before, so I decided to listen to their newest album Hideaway in preparation for the show. Guess what? Now I can write about the album!
What struck me most about Hideaway, was how the lyrics showed a sense of fear or anxiety toward something, but also seemed unaware of it. In “Sinking Feeling,” singer Nathan Williams sings about “It.” He keeps referring to whatever is taunting him as “It.” He sings, “It sits in your mind. It's like this all the time. Inward it crept. With visions of death.” I find that very unnerving and expressive of how sometimes we know that we are being tormented by a thought or a feeling, but it is so intangible that it is just “It.”
That same idea is prevalent in the title song “Hideaway.” Williams sings, “I'll do my best to hideaway. From all of the bullshit chasing me.” To me, this kind of gave off the same kind of feel as in “Sinking Feeling” because it is kind of like how you know you have issues that you should deal with, but can’t face them. It feels blurry and unresolved.
Wavves’ music, while unnerving, is also music that just makes people happy. They have the indie rock feel that just puts a smile on your face. I love listening to indie rock because it makes me happy and at the show, I was dancing and was even able to convince my friend, Sadie, who hates dancing, to dance too! That’s what makes Wavves’ music so enjoyable!