Massachusetts-based pop-punk group Waiver Wire are back with new music following their 2022 EP Wasted Time Well Spent. “Brain on the Box” kicks off with an old-school metal lead guitar part before settling into its rhythm as a classic high-energy pop-punk banger. It’s punchy in both lyrical content and sound, with some creative wordplay and hooky melodies. When a song is this fun to listen to, it’s particularly impressive that it is also so intentional and cutting with its words.
Since forming in 2018, Waiver Wire’s music has been informed by mighty pop-punk legends like Sum 41 and Fall Out Boy, and their more recent work has incorporated the influence of modern genre titans such as Real Friends and Neck Deep. Though these staple acts remain touchstones for Waiver Wire, they aren’t afraid of branching out. Vocalist Josh McKelvie shares that, “As we continue to evolve and alchemize, we strive to incorporate more of our collective influence beyond mere pop-punk. Lyrically, the song speaks to the human impulse to assume and play a role deemed acceptable and sanitary by society, while attempting to maintain an individualism and sense of self.”
