For Basement, the post-hardcore rockers hailing from Ipswich, their story is one of promise and unpredictability. With their debut, 2011’s I Wish I Could Stay Here, they took the scene by storm, only to disband after their second album the following year. They had left their mark so deeply though, in a sense it didn’t feel like they went away.
And after their mid-2010's return, their sound shifted subtly across their next two albums, settling on a blend of their original style with a straight-up alternative rock foundation.
What had really stood them out was an ability to cut straight through to an emotive core. Whether an enveloping wall of sound from the duo of guitarists, Ronan Crix and Alex Crenery, or from Andrew Fisher’s introspective, prying lyrics and cathartic vocals. It’s no mistake their biggest song by far, "Covet", which heralded their second album, to this day continues to rack up heaps of streams.
And yet, Fisher and co arrive with album five, WIRED, their first in almost eight years after another hiatus. But despite the absence, it again feels like they never really went away. Their passionate following never left and "Covet" popped up on a TikTok or two over the past few years. An air of sadness has always framed Fisher’s lyrics, and the band’s songwriting. But Wired carries itself with more optimism, almost as if returning after two previous hiatuses has taught the group that no matter how bad things go, in the end they tend to turn around for the better.
Musically, this isn’t a rewiring of the band’s approach, WIRED is still Basement doing what they do so well: "Time Waster" serves a heaping dose of distorted guitars and bass in the bridge, while the title track opens with an airy nostalgic vibe, before descending into its raucous, edgy chorus.
All the band are on form here - James Fisher is imperious on drums, meshing with Duncan Stewart’s full basslines. Whatever may be behind the occasional hiatus it's not because of a lack of nous when it comes to massive hooks and gripping soundscapes: WIRED is full of them, just see "Head Alight", or "Embrace". WIRED is Basement a bit more fleet-footed and breezy, but the substance and heft is still there.
