SDP did a review of this band’s release titled Bodies in the Sun back in 2015. Since that time, and despite some member turnover, The Waste Aways have continued to record, play shows, and hone in their craft. After having a chance to sample some of their newer unreleased material which included a re-hash of one of their more notable songs titled She Said, there was a lot to be learned about this local San Diego group.
In a modern sea of digitally enhanced recordings to include pitch perfected vocals and metronome sharp timing on every instrument, The Waste Aways are staying true to DIY punk rock ethics and producing songs that reflect a much more authentic picture of their own music. FYI, that was not a fancy way to say that the band sounds bad. On the contrary, these men are continually improving and the batch of forthcoming songs they have cooked up are all the proof a listener will need.
When I reflect back to my earliest years of interest in punk rock, much like I still do today, I remember collecting a lot of records. The difference is that, back then, the songs on the records seemed to matter more to the bands who released them. As an example, how many times did Agent Orange release the song Bloodstains under a different recording? There is a version on Living in Darkness, a second version on the same release, maybe another one on a 7”, and a couple of live releases etc. They didn’t flop out an album and then quickly move on to an entire batch of new songs every 6 months thereafter like so many bands do today. They believed in what they were doing and they still perform their classics 40 years later!
The point in telling that story is merely to convey that the vibe The Waste Aways are putting out with their current direction is very similar. They are identifying elements in their own songs and arrangements. They are finding ways to improve the finer details while focusing on the stand-out songs and weeding out weaker ones. The overall song writing is showing maturity with catchier melodies and rhythms, vocal harmonies, and diversity in tempos and styles. Normally, such a description would lead one to believe that the sound is getting overly polished and “less punk” for lack of a better expression. However, that simply isn’t the case for The Waste Aways. The sound is as raw and as gritty as always and if you haven’t put these guys on your radar yet, I would merely make the suggestion that perhaps you should. I believe San Diego punk music fans have something to look forward to with this band!
—
Article by Todd Dulawan
