Wavves dropped their second album of the year with V, an album we got to preview throughout the year through songs like “Way Too Much,” “Heavy Metal Detox,” “Flamezesz.” Those songs were more than enough to keep us busy until the full-fledged release, but it was only right that we took in the whole body of work and make an assessment of what are the absolute best V tracks on V (that’s a Roman numerals joke, kids!).
So hit the jump and see which songs stood above the rest.
“Heavy Metal Detox”
There’s nothing better than kicking off an album with a really strong track. The opener to V has a very ’70s Garage Rock feel with surf-y grooves weaved in here and there, and the impeccable tambourine-to-guitar ratio makes you think this could’ve been a Punk take on T. Rex.
“Way Too Much”
We get a legit and potent one-two-punch with the first couple of tracks on the album. “Way Too Much” starts off with a Queens Of The Stone Age-like intro, opening with a barrage of strokes to the 6 string, before turning into something a lot more danceable. It’s that element that makes this a great track, taking the spirit of “Dancing With Myself” and making it just a tad bit more of a downer, but not any less inspirational in the head-bopping and waist-shaking departments.
“My Head Hurts”
This is an anthemic track that I can’t help but put on repeat. The hook is incredibly simple, but it’s catchy as hell, and that’s all I want sometimes. We’ve all been there, more than able to relate to when Nate sings “But my head hurts/And without you it’s worse/Suffocating on my own/You’re killing me, I hope you know.” I can picture just how much better this track gets to you if you hear it played live, while steadily hopping along in the middle of the pit, pumping your fist in the air as you chant that chorus like if the girl you’re infatuated with is standing just a couple of rows in front of you and you want her to know you’re singing that about her.
“Hear Attack”
Acoustic guitar is underrated in Rock songs sometimes, unless it’s used for those sweet Power Ballads from back in the day. This song packs a lot of , but when that acoustic guitar kicks in nothing but luscious and it’s the perfect accompaniment for the campy approach to singing of the titular lyrics.
“Tarantula”
One of the rare songs on this album surpassing the 3 minute mark, this song is another delightful downer with a chorus consisting of the lines “Every morning/Toxic waste/Everything sucks/If you don’t get your way.” The bass lick is the driving force in this one, and the double tracking with the repeating hook helps put you in a pseudo-trance where everything does indeed suck.
Overall DOPENESS FACTOR:
4
