Our first encounter came through “Exit Strategy”. On ‘Here’s That Feeling’, the Ghent band broaden the conversation: noisy, blues-streaked post-hardcore, memorable choruses and feelings that refuse to leave quietly.
When we introduced WRONG MAN a few weeks ago, their connections to Oathbreaker, Rise and Fall and Partisan helped set the scene. “Exit Strategy”, featuring Jeremy Bolm of Touché Amoré, gave us a better reason to stay.
Now their debut full-length through Deathwish Inc. (Loma Prieta, Modern Life Is War, Oathbreaker, Rise And Fall, Touche Amore…) moves the discussion beyond previous employment.
Following the EPs ‘Who Are You?’ and ‘Big Plans’, these nine tracks give each musician room to act. Bass leads, guitar wanders, drums keep the friction productive. Heavy music often adds another layer when things get serious. WRONG MAN leave a gap.
Somebody might hear what’s bothering them. Bold strategy.
“Loose Ends” makes that space count. The instruments pursue distinct lines before converging in a chorus whose size comes from the contrast. There’s Fugazi in the interplay, Quicksand in the muscular melodic pull and Drive Like Jehu in the wiry guitar work. Blues-inflected phrasing keeps the edges loose enough to catch you.
The ’90s vocabulary is familiar. The conversation feels current.
What if getting better at being a band means leaving more of yourself exposed?
Vocalist Bjorn gives that question substance. His rough, expressive delivery carries disappointment and unfinished business through arrangements that leave the words audible. Without constant distortion filling the room, there’s less to hide behind.
“It Won’t Wash Off” turns repetition into mounting unease, its insistent movement suggesting someone pacing through a thought they can’t shake. A late saxophone arrival makes things more agitated.
Apparently, the sax has also had a week.
“Blue” opens up the melodic side, while “Exit Strategy” gains context within the full record. Bolm’s contribution becomes part of the exchange rather than its headline. Listeners drawn to Planes Mistaken for Stars or Birds in Row will recognise that friction between emotional abrasion and songs that keep pulling you back.
A catchy chorus is under no obligation to resolve anything. An excellent loophole.
Recorded with Michael Neyt and mixed by Kurt Ballou (Converge) at God City Studios, ‘Here’s That Feeling’ keeps the band’s interaction central. You hear individual decisions and feel what happens when they meet.
Our introduction promised familiar faces exploring fresh territory. The album delivers something more revealing: musicians comfortable enough together to leave the uncomfortable parts exposed.
Here’s that feeling. You may know the chorus before you’re ready to discuss it.
