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HALSEY/MANIC

MIKE WOOD

If you like some depth and self-discovery with your pop, Halsey’s third album will deliver the goods. There’s hip hop, country and folk thrown in for good measure, but it’s less about the genre and more about the message. Halsey offers some perspective on loneliness, self-awareness, self-loathing, and of course, love. But, make no mistake, when Ashley Frangipane (Halsey’s given name) sings, she preaches to remind listeners not to feel sorry for themselves: a breakup is not a reason to wallow, it’s a reason to rise above and grow.

So this may not be the album to listen to if you want to whine with your wine. There’s sympathy present, but Manic is more about hard lessons and hard truths and taking responsibility for both. So if you don’t mind self-reflection, let Manic be that mirror—for you and an entire generation. Halsey’s 16-song set is all about this self-reflection and the aforementioned self-discovery, to find a reason behind, well, everything.

If you are ready to navigate your own personal crises, this album shall be your roadmap. If not, be aware: it’s not all cutesy pop, but rather a daring, young artist ready to tell you—us—to take some responsibility for our lives. Twenty-something angst is different in 2020 than it was a decade ago, but the album’s themes will resonate with anyone who has ever been afraid, lost, in love, in a rage, alone, uncertain, or any number of other human maladies. You’d be remiss not to see the lingering influences of artists like Fiona Apple, Alanis Morissette or even P!nk.

The album’s opener, simply titled “Ashley” holds that mirror up high and in her face (and ours): “I don’t wanna be somebody in America just fighting the hysteria.” Manic serves as an autobiography in its raw portrayal of a young woman trying to find her way in an increasingly hostile world. And, as she suggests, no matter our age, aren’t we all?

WAIVER WIRE/HOLD YOUR APPLAUSE

JASON SAVIO

Worcester has a hot new group on its radar. Blinking brightly with a flashy debut EP entitled Hold Your Applause, is Woo Town’s own punk-pop group Waiver Wire.

Waiver Wire’s first release is a bright and tight foursong collection. There’s nothing totally earth shattering here, and the band’s influences are apparent, but it’s a good listen nevertheless. “The Corner and the Cap” starts with a big, catchy guitar hook and right away Waiver Wire has your attention. Like other bands in the genre that have come before, Waiver Wire knows the bread and butter is all in the melody and there’s a strong effort to find it and make the most of it in these songs.

The rhythm of the music is upbeat and steadily fast, but the lyrics aren’t always as cheery. When guitarist and vocalist Josh McKelvie sings, “Every day’s a sequel/a remake of a reboot” in “Money’s Worth,” it comes with a hefty load of disappointment, making for a perfect juxtaposition.

The best song - if you’re from Massachusetts - is “Mass Transit,” a tune that takes the woes of traveling our great state in crappy weather and puts them to more beneficial use as a thoughtful analogy for a relationship on the rocks. McKelvie sings, “When the snow melts it gets better/Rise and fall with the weather/Patch the holes/It’s worse than ever before,” over an anthemic and memorable melody. It’s the perfect ode to traversing state number six and fixing a broken heart.

For more information visit: https://www.facebook.com/ waiverwireband/