Wasted Words & Bad Decisions by Welshly Arms

By Phil Hawkins

Summer may still be a couple of months away, but the latest from Welshly Arms very well could be the soundtrack for the summer. It’s airy, energetic and fun giving it an ability to want to roll the windows down and turn it up.

Wasted Words & Bad Decisions was recorded in an old farmhouse in the outskirts of Cleveland, Ohio as the world endured lockdown. The tranquil and comfortable setting provided the platinum-selling five-piece band a welcome respite from the grueling demands of touring stateside and overseas. “With a long pause in touring and live performances due to the pandemic, we took time to reflect and refocus on our music,” says Sam Getz [Lead, Singer, Guitar]. “These songs speak to who we all are in this exact moment of our lives. Musically, we wanted this record to bring us back to the raw rock-n-roll that we had built the band on when we were jamming in the basement together. But, of course, we’ve also matured and gelled as musicians after touring the world together, and I think that intersection is what made Wasted Words & Bad Decisions so fun and rewarding to create.”

The album opens with “World Is Watching” which injects some soul into the mix right out of the gate. The track is fairly abrupt with a shorter runtime, but still manages to set the stage for what is to come. “Are You Lonely?” is the perfect track to usher in the upcoming summer. It carries a strong pop sensibility and it raucous bout of fun from start to finish. “Dangerous” starts out with a soulful choir and quickly shifts into more of a pop rock anthem that would align with the stylings of Imagine Dragons or The Killers. It continues the trend of being energetic and fun and carries that same vibe over in to “One More Hallelujah.” “One More Hallelujah” keeps things upbeat but also carries a sense or urgency in the delivery.

“Trouble” is another anthemic track and is rhythmically lyrical in the vocal delivery at parts and seems to encompass a lot of the elements encountered thus far on the album without making them feel like a rehash or that they are overused. “Save Me From The Monster In My Head” is an introspective track that touches on how we all have our own battles that we face, but rarely share with even those closest to us. We all need that someone to help us when we are at our lowest points and feel utterly defeated. “I Surrender” serves as the perfect follow up track to “Save Me From The Monster In My Head” and closes out the first half of the album. “I Surrender” is probably the most soulful track on the album. Where we have gotten glimpses before this track embraces its soulful side and uses it to full advantage giving it a depth and gravitas unlike any other track on the album.

The second half of the album opens with “Have It All” which has a very simplistic feel (in a White Stripes sort of way) but still manages to feel almost anthemic in nature giving it a unique and solid contrast of sorts. “Burn Me Live” and “Stand” are both similarly formulated tracks leaning more on the anthemic side (which is quite common on the album as a whole). “I Will Overcome” brings back some more of the soulful energy found intermittently on the album and kind of ushers back some of the more fun and airy nature found early in the album.

“Love Is Not A Weapon” is energetic and chock full of pop sensibilities that is sure to stick with the listener well beyond the initial listen. It may not be as upbeat some some of the earlier content on the album but it helps provide a well rounded approach. “Proud” follows shifts back a bit tonally to more rock than pop that helps with some of the contrast that can be found on the album. “Find My Way Home” serves as the album closer and is much more mellow in nature with a more piano driven melodic approach. It is a solid track, but as the album closer it almost feels a bit out of place. Sure, it serves the purpose of closing the album out, but in the overall scheme of the album it is mildly underwhelming and somewhat abrupt.

Overall, Wasted Words & Bad Decisions is a solid pop rock record that is perfect for the upcoming summer season. It feels like an album that is intended to be played at full volume with the windows down and the sun shining.

Wasted Words & Bad Decisions is available now on all major streaming and digital platforms or physical copies can be purchased here.

Welshly Arms is currently on tour in Europe through early May with additional US and Canadian dates this summer including some festival dates.