Track of the Day: Moose Wrench – Not My Name (2023)
Singing about their mid-life crisis with dad-bod tightness, Moose Wrench is the epitome of never growing up, just growing weird. The last time we heard from the UK-based group, they were shifting our opinion of whether middle-aged dads could make a smash with alt-metal noise; turns out they can. In ‘Not Dead Yet’, the lads represent their prowess of “ageing disgracefully and loudly and dressing accordingly”. Now, they take on The Ting Tings’ single ‘Not My Name’ with their obscure slice of insanity.
Recorded at Greenmount Studios in Leeds, the Dan trio – Dr. Dan (vocals and keytar), Mr. Dan (bass) and Dan Jr. (drums) – bring a heavier slant to The Ting Tings’ popular single ‘Not My Name’. If you know the original version, a comparison can be made almost immediately as Moose Wrench dips into the poppy joviality and memorable lyrics. This is pretty much where the nostalgic whiff of The Ting Tings stops. Instead of retaining the indie-pop “get out your shoes and jump about” factor of The Tings Tings, Moose Wrench splashes heavier, harder alternative rock to metal tones into the mix. The heaviness increases as the song plays on.
Opening with a fusion of jumped-up pop and alternative rock, you feel the tinges of Moose Wrench’s brashness. A leap from joviality to something darker, slivers of hard rock penetrate the seemingly lighter tones. We quickly plunge into a mire of pounding drums, scorching guitars and powerful vocals with Dr. Dan screaming “It’s not my name”.
Vocalist Katie White described the original ‘Not My Name’ as a song of being overlooked with an inner desire to be heard. Moose Wrench takes one step further capturing the frustration of being isolated but simultaneously bashing a sense of empowerment into the single. The lads explain that “this single is about not letting anyone get in the way of your mission in life, no matter how silly or crazy it might be.”
A spiral from “hey, I can kind of dance to this” to “bleeding hell, what was that” with a grin of individuality and independence, Moose Wrench twists The Ting Tings’ ‘Not My Name’ until it is barely recognisable.
For more from Moose Wrench, check out their Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
