L.A.-based via Houston artist DE’WAYNE releases their debut album STAINS today, June 18th, via Hopeless Records and you can view a video right now for their latest single “Super 8.”
The track itself combines emo, synthpop, and rock sounds in a tight, meticulously produced package. DE’WAYNE’s vocal jumps right out of the gate from the top, accompanied by insistent rock fuzz bass and drums. Throughout, DE’WAYNE’s energetic vocal yelps are punctuated with Suicide-style delays that send their vocal into infinity. With lines like “I wanna film a porno on a Super 8” the lyrics are straightforward and not insightful by any stretch of the imagination, but they’re not really the focus here. They’re throwaway, a vehicle for the excellent production, hooks, and DE’WAYNE’s vocal performance. One gets the feeling that with the right song DE’WAYNE will be a household name.
Meanwhile, the video (directed by Joe Mischo) alternates between scenes of DE’WAYNE and a “friend” getting into various stereotypically “porno” role-playing antics and more performance-oriented footage of DE’WAYNE and their drummer among a curtain of chains and hooks. One shows the more deadpan comedic side of the artist, while the other adds a mild bit of sexual edge, although DE’WAYNE never strays into even PG-13 territory. It’s clear in his energy and confidence in performance that there’s a lot of promise here in DE’WAYNE. One hopes that their future material will show a maturity in songwriting that rivals their considerable pop idol-to-be talents. Gabe Hernandez