The Garden are a musical duo hailing from California composed of twin brothers Wyatt and Fletcher Shears. The band last performed in Chicago on Friday of Riot Fest 2019.
The band maintains a fantastic work ethic, constantly touring around the world while releasing music and other content along the way. In 2011, the group coined the term “Vada Vada” to represent all their creations, which refers to “total freedom of expression without boundaries or guidelines of any sort.”
The band’s latest release is their new studio album Kiss My Super Bowl Ring, released on March 13.
They paired the album with a video which features an unintelligible, raspy-voiced goblin creature interviewing them about the album. The goblin asks the twins the usual interview questions, such as the meaning to some songs or the recording process, but also does goblin-like things such as brandishing his scary teeth or invading their personal space. Overall it results in a genuinely informative interview with a weird “Vada Vada” twist.
In true style to the band, the album features a skillful mix of music made by both electronic and physical instruments. The sounds on the album vary from heavily distorted guitars and fat, plucked bass, to light electronic noises and thundering, hip hop-like electronic percussion.
One of the album’s highlights is the opener, “Clench to Stay Awake.” The lyrics and guitar are very slow, dark, and depressing. The singer grudgingly croons the tale of having to prevent himself from passing out. The song suddenly snaps into a blown-out bridge, with the singer screaming about being “ashamed of my mind, ashamed of my body.” The song transitions back into a slow section, but the lyrics are more hopeful and the light electronic noises ease up some tension. “It will take over no longer, as long as my will is good.”
My personal favorite is “The Struggle,” a song that shifts emotions and styles at breakneck speeds. The song alternates between screamed vocals over blast-beat drums, chill, vibey synth patterns, and fun, pop punk-esque vocals. The song overall seems to focus on an internal struggle about what the person is doing and what is expected of them. The message is conveyed well through the alternating screamed and chill vocals.
“Sneaky Devil” features a booming, bassy, bouncy drum track. The twins have a cool-as-a-cucumber flow, as they talk about all the different things that bother them, including old white men, politicians, and racism coming straight out of the system. By this track, the third on the album, it is clear that the use of screaming vocals is a reliable and effective trick up their sleeve.
Later down the tracklist is the incredibly catchy AMPM Truck. The guitar parts interact with each other in a thrilling way. One is legato and fierce, playing solitary notes, while the other guitar has multiple quick strums.
Despite such catchy singing and instrumentation, the lyrics tell the story of nearly falling asleep at the wheel and how it could have resulted in multiple deaths, including the band itself. The song is a great example of putting the medicine in the sweets. A song with so much singalong potential is also a reminder of how one can be alive in one minute and gone the next.
The album’s stand-out themes deal with the concept of self-reflection, both positively and negatively.
The emotional lows deal with depression, self-disapproval, harsh self-critique, and confronting one’s own negative actions. The emotional highs talk about confidence, the recognition of self-worth, and include a healthy amount of ego.
I noticed that sometimes the twins are only able to prop themselves up when comparing themselves to someone much worse. This may serve as the middle ground between the album’s emotional highs and lows.
The album should definitely be checked out, especially for music listeners who pride themselves on liking many different genres of music. The album’s intentional blend of styles and eclectic moments that vary from intense self-reflection to mindless air-punching rage make for an incredibly enjoyable listen.