Poison Oak - Wasted (self-released)

If you were so inclined, you could debate endlessly where Poison Oak and their music sit in the musical landscape. Is it power-pop, indie-rock, alt-pop, jangle-pop, or just good old-fashioned rock and roll, albeit with poise and purpose? But honestly, who really cares? What’s not up for debate is whether their latest offering, “Wasted,” is the most upbeat and infectious tune you’ve heard in ages. It is. Just accept it and move on. Trust me, I do this for a living!

This Australian quartet has always had a knack for pulling the best from a wide array of genres—blistering pop, sophisticated rock, incendiary indie, and anything else that strikes their fancy—creating music that dances effortlessly between them all. And “Wasted” is no exception.

This new one is a song full of nostalgia and pathos. It reflects on the carefree days of youth and muses on how friendships come apart at the seams as people take off along their different paths through adulthood. The friendships of those formative days are not often built on the same foundations that are needed to stay connected once responsibility and family matters take over. A shame, of course, but such is life!

The real talking point here is Poison Oak’s consistency in writing great songs, anthemic songs that straddle the pop-indie-rock divides. Their songs are always accessible, anthemic, and fun, but they still have depth, and plenty to say about the trials and tribulations of life.

“Wasted” is another great song, another reason to remember the Poison Oak, and another reminder of just why they are such festival favorites in their native Australia. Local legends, perhaps, but local for how much longer, I wonder.

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