Photo by Frank Martinez

Alien Boy have been ahead of the curve on what’s become the revival of shoegaze-slathered pop-rock for quite some time now, with 2021’s breakthrough sophomore effort, Don’t Know What I Am, still doing laps around the present. After offering a preview in refining their sonic knife with the 2022 single, “Wondering Still”, the PDX indie rock crew led by Sonia Weber sound ready to go even bigger with their sound with the forthcoming You Wanna Fade? Usually, citing Third Eye Blind and Smashing Pumpkins would elicit a groan these days because what band that loves distortion pedals smashed through earworm hooks isn’t jocking two of the biggest assholes in ’90s alternative rock? Yet, Weber and crew offer a vessel of redemption through its lead single “Changes”. Speaking to you like the chorus to the verse through a dizzy of dreamy jangle-pop that promptly surges into a static-laced stratosphere and never comes down from there, it’s no surprise that it’s master class on the art of post-grunge guitar rock with a heaping pile of gloss poured all over it has got us feeling fucked up and freaking out over what’s to come from Alien Boy, too.

Directed by: Sjur Hjeltness

Alien Boy’s You Wanna Fade? will be released May 9th on Get Better Records.