I remember when pop-punk first became a big deal (yes, I really am that old), I never really warmed to it; for me, it was too full of recycled ska moves and frat-boy humor, overly reliant on in-jokes, and pretend angst. But, had bands like Pocket Gum been about at the time, rather than having the likes of Sum-182 and their try-too-hard, tattooed-too-heavily minions leading the charge, I’m sure it would have been a different story.
The clever thing about the short, sharp, and shockingly effective “Wasted” is that it keeps the genre’s trademark beat and groove and replaces the layer of the song where the punky moves would be swapping them with almost dream-pop textures and seductive indie twangs. The song still punches as it should and does so above its weight, but it does it in much less obvious ways, more seductive and subversive.
Then, just as you have Pocket Gum figured out, they are gone. The job is done, the song delivered, the impact made, and you are left wondering if this was even pop-punk at all. And maybe that’s why I like it so much. It rings out with the distant echo of that sound but builds something new in its place, too.
Pop-punk for a whole new generation? Why not? It gets my vote. And then some.
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