New Music: Watch Out For Snakes - "Burnt Bridges"
I was first introduced to the music of Matt Baum aka Watch Out For Snakes via a sponsored post on Instagram prior to the release of 2018’s album UPGRADE. In my experience, social media algorithms tend to treat me like a parent who has an approximation of what their kid is engaged in, often completely missing the mark. This post was different. The pumping, driving bass and synths of the track TORN grabbed hold and refused to let go. For once, the algorithm understood me.
This lead me on a deep dive of WOFS’ material and UPGRADE became something of an obsession. I was immediately swept away into a 1980s-themed neon nightmare. The more I listened the more I sought to understand it. Was this chip music? Yes. Was this synthwave? Yes. The answer to those same questions was also “No.” Despite the upbeat nature of the tracks, the music was as dark and visceral as any metal or hardcore album. I thought I understood that genre and music styles were meant to be loose and that embracing as many influences as possible was not only important, but also a necessity. And yet I struggled with how to define it.
“I’ve never been chiptune. I’ve never been synthwave. I’ve just been me. Leaning even harder into that these days.”
—Watch Out For Snakes
The concept of genre in music undoubtedly serves numerous purposes. We use it in terms of classification as well as a way to describe the very sounds in which we are listening to. This was the norm for so long that I feel as though the very descriptors that were meant to define music are the very things that limit us. After all, isn’t the core of creativity to push boundaries and feel free to experiment?
The answer to this question came swiftly in the form of future WOFS releases such 2019’s full-length SCARS and the latest single “Burnt Bridges".” I wish to refrain from calling this a departure from previous efforts. I also don’t think that “evolution” quite nails it either. The hard-hitting beats and soaring synth melodies juxtaposed with Matt’s deeply personal vocals and lyrics drive home the fact that this is perhaps the most honest and thrilling version of Watch Out For Snakes to date. Matt leans in on everything that makes him and this project what it is: A mix of joy, pain and making sure that you’re headbanging at paces that border on unsafe. Combined with the collaborative aspect of the scene, “Burnt Bridges” features gang vocals from acts such as Glitterwølf, Starfarer & many more.
Download this. Stream it. Add it to your playlists. Your ears will thank you.
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