There’s nothing nostalgic about Wayside’s return—this is a band that never forgot how to bite. With Beyond the Pale, the Minneapolis rock veterans prove their alchemic chemistry hasn’t dulled in their years away; if anything, the formula has been refined into something even more potent.
Dripping in that alt-90s swagger—the kind that seeps into the synapses like a down-and-dirty aphrodisiac—Beyond the Pale pulls you under with primal rhythmic force. Pull away, and you’re left with a stark meditation on life’s only certainty: change. More often than not, those shifts pull us deeper into despair, a truth relayed through smoky, velvety vocal lines that ooze indie rock and roll charisma.
Imagine Velvet Revolver and The Black Keys stepping into uncharted sonic territory, and you’ll get an idea of what Wayside have delivered here. They aren’t just reviving the sound that landed them on the 2002 Vans Warped Tour—they’re letting the years since carve new depths into their songwriting. With their full-length LP, Dusk to Dawn, set to drop in April, it’s clear that their road-worn reflections have given them more to say than ever.
Wayside’s resurgence isn’t about reliving the past—it’s about proving they’ve still got the muscle to pull listeners into the undertow. And if Beyond the Pale is any indication, they’ve got plenty more where that came from.
Stream Beyond the Pale on Bandcamp now.
Review by Amelia Vandergast