Review Summary: nostalgia's no joke
Few musicians do 90s nostalgia as well as Taylor Madison. The mastermind behind Superheaven/Daylight, the best band in Run For Cover’s afterlife right next to Pity Sex, returned a few years ago with his new project Webbed Wing. Every bit as grungy and thicc-guitar-tone-heavy as his previous project, the band set itself apart on 2019’s debut LP
Bike Ride Across the Moon by occasionally emphasising acoustic guitars, harmonicas and an overall snappier approach to songwriting. Now, the Will Yip produced
What’s So Fucking Funny? largely retains this formula and sharpens it into the most bitesize, highly loveable throwback album.
Opening cut ‘Years’ wastes no time setting the record’s tone, plunging headfirst into the fuzzy depths of an interplay of distorted riffs, laid-back drums and dense basslines. Madison’s voice is every bit as perfect for the music’s grungy tendencies as it was on Superheaven’s magnum opus
Jar eight years ago, uniquely entangling passion and apathy in his deep tones. Fitting a tastefully executed guitar solo in its outro, ‘Years’ accomplishes all it sets out to do in less than two and a half minutes. The equally brief ‘For Real’ boasts
What’s So Fucking Funny?’s most memorable riffs and employs every instrument to its highest potential, from the delightfully muddy bass underscoring Madison’s vocals in the verses to simplistic drums accentuating the rather gloomy atmosphere. Each concise moment serves as a worthy addition to the album, highlighting Webbed Wing’s incredibly effective approach to songwriting.
This efficiency is best exemplified in the one-two punch of ‘Need You Around’ and ‘Old Times’. The former,
What’s So Fucking Funny?’s only track to surpass the three-minute mark, provides a welcome break from the record’s relatively high pace. Indulging in ethereal, Americana-tinged textures, the song drifts through airy vocal melodies and sets the stage for ‘Old Times’ burst of energy. While these two cuts illuminate the ends of the band’s spectrum, there is a cohesion to the music that can primarily be ascribed to the sense of sincerity Webbed Wing exudes. This authenticity finds itself in the aforementioned crossroads of Madison’s vocal style; moreover, it can very clearly be perceived through each lick and quip being geared towards enhancing the album’s experience. Thankfully, this does not compromise the twelve songs’ flow, as the record retains a highly organic aura.
True to
What’s So Fucking Funny?’s concisely competent nature, Madison’s lyrics focus on his personal issues while stating everything as effectively as possible. Covering topics ranging from existentialism (‘Make a Dime’) to gender norms (‘For Real’), each word is as colourless as it is moving. Most touchingly, ‘Saturdays’ focuses on the state of the musician’s family, a topic widely covered on Superheaven’s best output. It’s a prime example of Madison’s poignant bluntness, with the lines “
My three sisters and I, we all fall apart / I can’t protect them now, it breaks my heart” feeling like a genuinely heartbreaking conclusion to the likes of ‘Youngest Daughter’, ‘Around the Railing’ and ‘Gushin’ Blood’. It’s the exact type of depth
What’s So Fucking Funny? needs to elevate itself above ‘merely’ being a highly excellent throwback record: it’s a throwback album that manages to reframe nostalgia as yearning and tragedy at the very same time.
