Most of the albums being made right now may very well have been written in a boardroom by a bunch of stuffy people in suits with the only intent being to sell— purely commercial endeavors. However, the new album by The Interrupters “In The Wild” has a special touch, showing that the lyrics are coming from a place of truth.
Each song refers back to how resilience and the courage to continue pay off in the end. The main vocalist of the group Aimee Allen is very open about her rough past. Allen talks about growing up in the foster care system and the experiences that brought her to where she is now.
The Interrupters have been around for a while now, formed during 2011. The band members are close, like family — in fact, they’re a literal family. Allen married Kevin Bivona, the guitarist, and the other two members are Bivona’s twin siblings, Jessie Bivona and Justin Bivona.
The album is like a victory anthem for getting through the dark tunnel of the past and finally being able to see the light at the end, with that light being acceptance of the past and moving forward to better places.
The musical themes of the album stay true to the punk sound that The Interrupters have in their past work, and some of the songs even have the ska vibe they have been known for. What also sets The Interrupters apart is the unique sound of Allen’s singing voice. She has mentioned being influenced by Joan Jett, which can be heard in the way she sings. It may be a hot take, but to me, she has always sounded as if Lady Gaga went punk.
The opening song of the album “Anything Was Better” really gets into the meat of the album’s theme. Allen sings about coming from a rough place and how looking for dreams is what leads someone out of those places. It is not sung with bitterness, but victoriously, a stepping stone to a better place, an undeniable part of the past, albeit a sad part. Allen reminds us we have to acknowledge the sad parts of our past to continue moving forward and grow.
One of the singles from the album, “In The Mirror,” really delves into what it was like for Allen to face her past and how difficult that can be. The song has the ska combined with punk sound The Interrupters love to produce. Allen sings about how she could run as far as she wanted, but she’d always end up back at the person in the mirror. We are made up of our past, we have to own up to it one day and Allen used that to fuel her passion as a singer and put it into an amazing new album.
The album “In The Wild” shows Allen’s journey through her struggles in an artful way. The songs sound great and have a real message behind them. I give the album 5/5 mirrors of self reflection.