$3.00
“Waves” is the debut single from Baltimore’s Bested. Like singer and guitarist Bret Lanahan's previous endeavor, Roomrunner, Bested is a rock band through and through. While Roomrunner specialized in volume and punishing distortion, Bested lets songwriting take the front seat. Recorded with Dan Frome (Future Islands, Dan Deacon) with Lanahan playing all instruments himself, these songs are an ode not just to heavy guitar rock but to pop music as well.
Mere seconds into “Waves,” you begin to realize that catchy hooks are what Lanahan is after, and he achieves it in spades. Taking cues from Superdrag, Cherubs, and even The Beach Boys, “Waves” pushes the tired of genre of “noise rock” and turns it on its head with sugary sweet vocals and riffs that would make The Raspberries jealous. B-side “Brain Again” is a slow burner that plays off of “Waves” in the best ways. This debut is the birth of Bested -- you can thank them for one of the best singles of the summer.
Track listing
1. Waves
2. Brain Again