If you’ve ever felt like calling someone a “whippersnapper” unironically, Outlaw Boogie gets you. “Eyes Wired Shut” is all about not being cynical about embracing new ideas, told with a catchy indie pop beat.
As Michael James Dent sings, “it’s been a year, and it’s going so fast, lying in bed with the ghost of my past.” The old trends may feel comfortable, but time doesn’t stand still. Tomorrow comes whether we want it to or not. And that assertive energy lives in “Eyes Wired Shut” through the energetic and almost erratic bassline, insisting with frenetic energy that something new is coming.
“Open your mind and you’ll have a good time,” they admit. A perfect message with perfect timing as people start to consider their New Year’s Resolution. And despite our cynical nature to cling to the familiar, the bright guitars add a pop of hope beneath each lyric.
Even the bridge, with its light and optimistic chords, strikes a hopeful tone. It makes this semi-autobiographic piece perfectly relatable—we want to hope the future is bright, but there’s comfort in being stuck in our ways. So maybe we should stop saying, “get off my lawn” and welcome the new with open arms.
Stream “Eyes Wired Shut” below.
Ben is an advertising Madman who spends his days with words and music. When he’s not writing for his supper, he’s eating it at some of NYC’s most interesting restaurants.
