It’s easy to forget how courageous and inspiring it is to lay all your cards on the table, especially as an artist in the public eye. To the layperson, it might feel uncomfortable if a few friends or family members find something out about them that’s personal or revealing

Aimee Interrupter used her platform to chronicle situations involving abusive upbringings, abandonment and identity crises, but also to reference how scars are badges of fortitude, not something in which to be ashamed or embarrassed.

In The Wild (Hellcat/Epitaph) is the latest product via The Interrupters, otherwise known as the reigning, defending, undisputed champions of electrifying punk hooks tinged with ever-satisfying ska. The 14 songs dabble in reggae and pop while also re-establishing the band’s insatiable ability to pen choruses that refuse to allow listeners to sit still.

The musical vibe starkly contrasts the lyrics which in essence allows for two separate albums – an emotional, impactful foety-three minutes and rip-roaringly exciting antics.

‘In The Mirror’ is a ska bopper. The same can be said about ‘As We Live,’ which features a brass solo and another Tim Armstrong cameo.

“Good riddance to that home / where the nightmare had begun” is how ‘Anything Was Better’ is brought to life in all its pained glory.

‘Raised By Wolves’ details a “child out in the wild,” forced to fend for itself and learn to adapt, persevere and thrive (it also sees a wonderfully performed harmonized wolf howl.)

To counteract the somber feel, ‘Kiss The Ground’ and ‘The Hard Way’ revel in appreciating what you have, even if it’s simply a breath left in your being.

To wrap up In The Wild, ‘Afterthought’ and ‘Alien’ expertly sends off the audience by way of sharply blunt lyrics that can be as relatable as they are tough to swallow. “You’re not the man my mama prayed for / You’re who the devil sent instead” speaks for itself, as does “Cuz I don’t fit in, I’m strugglin’ / I’m trying to be “one of them / But I’m an alien around here.” As simple as the writing is, sometimes it’s exactly what someone needs to hear, especially from a well-respected figure.

The act of Aimee performing raw, real-life songs backed by bubbly, encouraging ska music is as 2022 as it gets.

Reel Big Fish were on to something when they declared, “Life sucks, so let’s dance.”

Buy the album here: https://theinterrupters.ffm.to/inthewild

 

9 / 10

MATT COOK