By Sean McCall | Posted Sunday, October 14, 2018
Space Cadets is a two-piece emo/math rock band from Mount Holly, New Jersey. The band consists of Jarrett Wenzel on Drums/Vocals, and Matt Trinkle on Guitar. We Deserve Better is Space Cadets’ second EP release. The record was recorded by Matt Bogacki at Blue Light Digital Sound and was released in June of 2017. They have CDs and currently have 5 cassettes available (courtesy of Cheap Plastic Records).
The record opens with “New Vermont” which is a purely melodic and vulnerable song. Lyrically, it seems to discuss an internal struggle of stress and your mental health. "I can't lie to you, but I've been trying to, and I might go through with it, ‘cause I'm sick of wanting to die, every single time the stress hits.” I think this is discussing the ability to make a choice and be open in communication versus trying to lie; the temporary fix. This can bottle up and the stress can start to feel like too much, and this song covers that perfectly in a minute and a half.
The record transitions seamlessly into “Vanilla,” where the drums are introduced with a sad jazzy-sounding melodic guitar. The beginning seems to be reminiscing moments of admiration with a loved one, followed by coping with them moving away and the hardships of moving on. It picks up to a mathy beat and instrumental break where it transitions to a much more emotional and dreamy vibe. I love the rhythm throughout this entire song because it seems like you hear something new with each time you listen. Whether it be a ghost note, or hi-hat accent, it’s always super tasteful. Musically, I think this is my favorite song on the record.
The third song on the record, “Disconnecting,” is hands down one of the catchiest and most "finger-pointy” songs. The chorus is a jammer that speaks for itself: "3 years takes its toll on me I can't be everything I know you need, I'm not taking this lightly, but I can't help you when no one’s helping me.” My finger is aggressively pointing through the entirety of this chorus. That’s all you need to know; its a great time.
The last song on the record is called “In the Shirt You Gave Me,” and it continues with the theme of heartbreak of 3 years. This track essentially wraps up the entire theme of We Deserve Better. The transitions and dynamics are artistic and charming to the ear. My favorite part is the ending— almost breakdown—which closes the record perfectly.
This record is short, sweet, and powerful. Overall, it just gives me a feeling of genuinity and vulnerability. Their following and most recent EP, Coming Along Slowly, was released in July and is definitely something you should check out as well. It’s a solid follow-up to this record.
Jarrett’s input on the record is stated on Space Cadet’s bandcamp:
"There's been a lot of changes in my life over the past few months. The week before I recorded the vocals, we had a completely different record lyrically. Some things can change so quickly, when you least expect it. However, I think that's where this EP came from—honesty in the moment. In that week before I recorded vocals, I re-wrote 75% of the lyrics because the original ones were no longer relevant to my life. The past few months have been hard, but this band and this EP have kept me going. I hope these songs speak to you in some way. hope they help you as much as they've helped me."
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We Deserve Better is available for streaming/download at:
Bandcamp: https://spacecadetsnj.bandcamp.com/album/we-deserve-better
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/7MkXUOx99xBOcPBAdLtm2M
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist…
Apple Music: https://itun.es/us/ASlEkb
and more.