Weird Nightmare

If you’re looking for a raw, sugary blast of distorted pop, look no further than Weird Nightmare. The debut album from <a href="spotify:artist:18TNVFTJ6WfeicsMRrdJHI" data-name="Metz">Metz</a> guitarist and vocalist Alex Edkins has all of Metz’s bite with an unexpected, yet satisfying, sweetness. Imagine <a href="spotify:artist:1xgFexIwrf2QjbU0buCNnp" data-name="The Breeders">The Breeders</a> covering <a href="spotify:artist:3UvcmAOZt64oKpP95f6MMM" data-name="Big Star">Big Star</a>, or the hissy miniature epics of classic-era <a href="spotify:artist:4oV5EVJ0XFWsJKoOvdRPvl" data-name="Guided By Voices">Guided By Voices</a> combined with the bombast of <a href="spotify:artist:4DD6xBZ1INIT3yGJRQLzej" data-name="Sugar">Sugar</a>—tons of red-line distortion cut with tunecraft that instantly thrills.

Edkins has been a mainstay of Canadian punk since the early 2010s. Metz joined the Sub Pop roster in 2012 and built an international following for their angular, hard-hitting noise punk. During the pandemic, Edkins began recording solo songs that combined Metz’s muscular sonic attack with sugary hooks and the melodic leanings of ‘90s-inspired indie rock. Using new material and older songs that didn’t fit Metz’s mold, he completed a full-length under the name Weird Nightmare, released by Sub Pop in 2022.

A few guests pitch in: Canadian alt-pop genius <a href="spotify:artist:597yzFFRvWnxCtDInHwciZ" data-name="Chad VanGaalen">Chad VanGaalen</a> adds his touch to the escalating “Oh No,” while Alicia Bognanno of <a href="spotify:artist:34LdbFt5sVXKTJOzf1iExQ" data-name="Bully">Bully</a> lends her pipes to the thrashing “Wrecked,” a song Edkins almost cut. “I sent it to Alicia and she lifted it way up,” he says.

“It doesn’t sound right to my ears until it’s pushed over the edge,” Edkins explains, citing <a href="spotify:artist:4JzQKxgdLmyqbplHxVL8xY" data-name="Kim Deal">Kim Deal</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:3gSfOAPCvsDDVDBeSLl9v6" data-name="Scout Niblett">Scout Niblett</a> as influences. “I’ve never been attracted to virtuosity or technicality. Certain songs lift your spirits like nothing else can. I wanted to create that type of song.”