вЂњIt was a godsend for me,вЂќ he states about the creative process. вЂњI had always planned on finishing these songs, but being unable to tour with METZ, and forced to lock down, really gave me a push.вЂќ After days spent homeschooling his son, Edkins would drive to the METZ rehearsal room and tinker deep into the night on these songsвЂ™ deceptively simple structures and rich, static-laden textures. To be clear: Weird Nightmare is not a вЂњpandemic album,вЂќ but an album-some of which had been gestating for quite a while-that just so happened to be recorded during the pandemic. вЂњHooks and melody have always been a big part of my writing, but they really became the main focus this timeвЂќ he explains. These ten songs showcase a new side of EdkinsвЂ™ already-established songwriting, but even though the bulk of Weird Nightmare was recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic some of its tunes date back to 2013 in demo form.

Imagine The Amps covering Big Star, or the gloriously hissy miniature epics of classic-era Guided by Voices combined with the bombast of Copper Blue- era Sugar-just tons of red-line distortion cut with the type of tunecraft that thrills the moment it hits your ears. The debut album from METZ guitarist and vocalist Alex Edkins contains all of his main bandвЂ™s bite with an unexpected, yet totally satisfying, sweetness. If youвЂ™re looking for a raw, sugary blast of distorted pop, look no further than Weird Nightmare.

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