ALBUM REVIEW: Wasted Words & Bad Decisions – Welshly Arms
One way or another, you’ve likely heard of WELSHLY ARMS (WA) before. Once you’ve stopped wondering what on earth that name could mean you’ll realise you’ve either you’ve caught one of their numerous placements amongst movies, TV shows, trailers and even Fortnite (because of course it would be), or it’s that their sound is so ubiquitous that you’ve already heard their DNA running through other bands. Their new effort, Wasted Words & Bad Decisions (WWBD), brings no respite to this chain of homogeneity as their third album pens almost entirely from the same ink as the band’s past works. Yet, despite what feels like something heaved from a very shallow well of inspiration, we must ask, is this entirely a bad thing?
To answer such a question it’s important to understand what apparently makes WA so appealing. Amongst their concoction of indie and blues rock, it’s true that the quintet’s gospel elements give the taste of something holy, but the foundations are sadly not wholly creative. Nevertheless, WA has amassed such a following to put them dominant in their cosy niche, with a bulletproof work ethic hardwired to pump out ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’ by the masses. If this was the only metric to measure WWBD by, then we’d be looking at 2023’s blatant choice for AOTY – WA are well aware of what they’re trying to achieve and, three albums in, they’re pretty damn good at it.
The result is 13 single-ready and undeniably catchy numbers inoffensive enough to provide the broadest appeal to the widest audience possible. It may be a cynical overview but by God does it work. WWBD’s songwriting may leave a lot to be desired – and often sports the creative ambition of a brainless flea – but the band’s rich palette of the deepest blues and volatile splashes of fiery red give this rollercoaster a few loops to have listeners thrown through. Their biggest weapon to holster is by and large the five-piece’s performances. The band simply sounds huge. Guitarist and lead vocalist Sam Getz has already proven owner of some impressive pipes but WWBD’s many melodies abound with character in a light not seen before. He cracks when needed, he croons, howls, chants and easily puts himself amongst the upper echelons of the genre above a sea of one-trick ponies. It gives a well-needed counterweight to the drag of the track list’s regrettable homogeny and cements the band as a shouting voice of prestige amongst the field.
One More Hallelujah, Dangerous and Have It All are all brilliant exemplars and here, too, the remainder of WA’s line-up stretch their instrumental and vocal muscles. With a solid backend from Jimmy Weaver and Mikey Gould and inspirited gospel notes from Bri and Jon Bryant, WA is a charismatic band of artists – a shame really that their canvas must be so lacking in novelty.
Therein lies the issue. Numbers like Burn Me Alive and Are You Lonely may boast unshakable earworm hooks but the songwriting prowess starts and ends there. Musically, it’s hard to find nuance outside of verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus formats which is deflating enough but more draining still are the band’s lyrical efforts. They cast their thematic net as wide as possible. We tackle mental health struggles, battles with addiction, inequality, and motivation through adversity; essentially good assurance to land a couple of TV spots, the odd video game trailer and perhaps the soundtrack to the new range of Peugeots; thrilling stuff no doubt. Let there be no doubt that covering these topics is not inherently regressive, but the surface-level lyricism on I Will Overcome and self-important tones of Proud are more than enough to send eyes rolling into an abyss of vertigo and general disappointment.
As it stands, understanding why people like WELSHLY ARMS is easy enough, but seeing how fans can love them remains a mystery and Wasted Words & Bad Decisions does nothing to aid this perception. The album is technically proficient and is flawless in serving its purpose of stocking the armoury of radio-ready-ragers, but when the memory of those sweet melodies fades and the greater picture is before you, it’s clear this LP is a product of wasted words and bad decisions.
Rating: 5/10
Wasted Words & Bad Decisions is out now via self-release.
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