The Wannabes

The Wannabes first popped on the CPRA Band Radar Alert back on 4/06/2018. So I was extremely happy when, “Goodbye” first popped up on Spotify. So let’s dive right in with the intro track, ‘Intro’. This one is small, but it’s like opening a new book for the first time. For whatever reason the first time I heard this track. I kept thinking about the movie, “Being John Malkovich” It’s basically about some guy (John Cusack) finds a door. This door leads directly into actor John Malkovich’s brain. Cusack can see and hear everything going on in Malkovich’s life. It’s one of my favorites.

Therapy’, is next up on the list. The guitar, drums, and bass seem to flow easily as they intertwine with one another. This one has a simply beat, yet feels like it has a very deep message. “I sell smiles, but I’m running low”.

‘Night Ride’, this one is a little on the harder side. The bass and drums on this track are fantastic. Cameron McCurry’s vocals really add that bit of edge to the song. ‘Princess’ rolls up next on the track list. This love song has some great lyrics and shreds on guitar.

‘Animal’, this song sounds almost Ramones inspired with its melodies. I really like the “sing a long” type lyrics. The drums are great. Next up is my second favorite track, ‘Lullaby’. This one again has some great lyrics, some great hooks, and fantastic drumming. We can all relate to this song.

‘Rings’ comes up next on the list. The song is almost like a great power ballad. This one is a bit darker. I feel like we are really getting inside the writer’s mind on this song. ‘Running Out Of Time’ slows it down with some great little notes acoustically. ‘Working Class Poet’, this track speeds it back up. This one reminds me of Nirvana towards the end of their stand. The drums really stand out along with the cello or violin on this one.

“Puddles”, ok not sure if this song is referencing, “Puddles The Clown”, but I’ll be damned this is a great song. The piano is absolutely heartbreaking, yet hauntingly beautiful.

‘Death Song’, leans more towards a goth rock type song. The keyboard along with the vocals sound like they came from an opera of sorts. Even in a pure instrumental style this song could stand on its own. ‘Goodnight’, closes out this amazing album. This song is such a fantastic ending to a great album.

I reached out to drummer, Andy Pieratt for some formation information on the band. That’s something I always like to check into to. It helps me understand their music more. “We formed in October of 2016 with just Cameron McCurry and Andy Pieratt (me), we had talked on Craigslist because we both had similar influences and both wanted to start a band. So, we decided to meet up at a Mexican restaurant, and after like 5 minutes of talking together, we just seemed to click. Then, Cameron asked if I had any ideas for band names, and I said I was "cool with whatever," he suggested that we should be called The Wannabes because he has this guitar called "The Wannabe" guitar, and as far as we can tell that guitar does not exist outside of the one Cameron owns.

Trust me we've searched endlessly on Google. But, after that Cameron and I would practice regularly and "Lullaby" and "Therapy" were some of the first songs we worked on and eventually made. We had a long time of trying out different bassists because none of them seemed to fit right or fill that missing connection in the band. Then one day, Cameron mentioned that there's a kid named Joe at his school who plays bass/guitar that he thought might be the perfect fit.

Then in like February of 2018, Cameron, Joe, and I all met at the same Mexican restaurant and the full band of The Wannabes formed. Cameron and I both knew Joe was the perfect fit before we had even practiced with him. He was an edgy kid who was wearing a beat-up Zeppelin t-shirt, can't get more rock n' roll than that. Eventually, in May of 2018 we started recording our first album "Goodbye", and now here we are today!” That’s some great stuff!

In conclusion, “Goodbye’ from the Wannabes is a magical and twisted journey that should be added to any music lover’s collection. The different genres they feature make this a exemplary album of combined talent. I’m adding this one onto the list for the CPRA 2018 Album Of The Year. - Colorado Punk Rock Army