Basement - WIRED

Basement sound remarkably upbeat on their fifth studio album, ‘WIRED’, pairing a resounding opening mantra with a track akin to their more broadly melodic offerings from the past 15 years. It represents a band at a largely unique juncture, simultaneously underground veterans celebrating cult status (who are set to headline iconic hardcore festival Outbreak for the second time in three years), and – thanks to internet virality – new to the masses. It’s seen the five members, consistent since formation, arrive at their new record with a newfound sense of freedom, returning to their original independent label with heaps of time for creativity, with a young fanbase eager but non-expectant. The result embodies creative confidence, brimming with reinvigorated optimism.

The shifts are subtle: much of ‘WIRED’ doesn’t stray too far from the staple Basement sound. Regardless, as they have proven with the likes of ‘Aquasun’ and ‘Disconnect’, they’re well adept at turning lighter sounds on record into heavy live mainstays, with scene stealing opener ‘Time Waster’, the bounding ‘Satisfy’, and the album’s title track undoubtedly new cases in point. But it’s the nostalgia that bleeds throughout the record that appeals to both of their bases, an undercurrent of ‘90s and homegrown ‘00s DIY punk set against the band’s biggest choruses to date. It bleeds into the Nirvana-esque drawl of ‘Deadweight’ and the rustic ‘Summer’s End’, or the softer moments on ‘Broken By Design’, ‘Head Alight’ and ‘Longshot’. With those, Basement emerge with far more than a rehash of what has come before, instead offering a slight nod to the past on a record that welcomes innovation and change.