On July 7, an artist by the name of Former Vandal (Quinn Wentz) released his new EP entitled Honeymoon Haze. Upon listening to the new tracks, I was blown away.
Honeymoon Haze entails seven tracks. From beginning to end listening to them feels like reading a journal or diary. They are personal and tell a story.
Former Vandal is an upcoming artist from Fort Wayne, Indiana. (Photo: Alison Resac)
The first track is called “First Drag.” While the song has few lyrics, it still tells a story. The few lyrics at the beginning are then followed by an instrumental. Every time I hear this part of the song, the beat in the background it reminds me of a heartbeat. I do not know if this was done on purpose However, I think it is very cool and contributes to the vibe of the whole EP.
The second track is entitled “Anathema,” and honestly it is such a bop. I love listening to this in the car with the volume full blast and screaming the lyrics. It is just that kind of song. The lyrics are also incredibly clever. The song is an extended metaphor, comparing a relationship to a drug fix.An example of this can be found in the lyrics “Come invade my veins, you’re the risk I keep an arm’s length away…”
The next track is titled “Good Kid.” This song talks about being a good kid but still having issues and wanting to do crazy, reckless stuff regardless of upbringing. This is my favorite track, the beat is impeccable and the lyrics are relatable.
“’GOOD KID’ was such a thrill to write because I was so confident and hype while writing it. Sometimes as a songwriter, or artist in general, I’m super critical and harsh on my own work, but ‘GOOD KID’ just clicked for me.” Said Wentz.
The next track, “Take it Slow,” has an upbeat pop kind of vibe that I totally dig. This is another song that I definitely find myself singing in the car.
Following “Take it Slow” is a track called “Holy.” The slow beat and deep lyrics to this song make it stand out. I like that this song is placed before the next two tracks called “Mistress” and “Roseblue,” because the juxtaposition of the sounds is really cool and it exemplifies Wentz’s ability to do different sounds and vibes in one EP. It is honestly so impressive, I’m still wowed every time I listen to this EP all the way through.
The sixth track, Mistress, tells a story of infidelity and being the mistress. Despite the darker story behind the lyrics, the song is upbeat and fun.
“‘MISTRESS’ was a song I wrote with live shows in mind and being able to perform that and pour myself out with a room full of people bearing their souls is a dream come true.” Said Wentz.
The final track is a tie for my favorite song, right next to “Good Kid.” This track is called “Roseblue,” and the first time I listened to it I instantly fell in love with it. This song has a very vulnerable and personal feel and I love to have that kind of connection with an artist. I really love to feel like I understand what they were feeling when they produced a song.
“I would say I have two favorite tracks, ‘GOOD KID’ and ‘ROSEBLUE’…The thing with “ROSEBLUE” though, is that it’s so personal to me that I feel like if I don’t say that as an answer, I’m betraying myself a bit. To me, this song is the most vulnerable on the album. It took a lot for me to share,” Said Wentz.
All in all, this EP is honestly a work of art. Every track really paints a picture of what it’s about. I think the ability to paint a picture of a situation through music is so cool and I admire the production of this EP so much.
Be sure to check it out! The Spotify link is here and the iTunes link is here.
