The lineage is immediately apparent. Nirvana's shadow looms large, naturally, but so too does the swagger of Oasis, the sonic density of The Smashing Pumpkins, and the textural dreaminess of Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine. That's quite the palette to draw from, and to Wired Euphoria's credit, they don't simply photocopy their heroes. Instead, "Lifestyle" emerges as a knowing synthesis, one that understands the emotional weight of grunge's introspection and the chemical rush of shoegaze's wall of sound, marrying them to a surprisingly direct melodic sensibility.
Lyrically, Cawthorn tackles anxiety and hypochondria with an unflinching honesty that recalls the best traditions of British guitar music. The fear of life itself becomes the subject matter, not dressed up in metaphor or hidden behind clever wordplay, but presented raw and immediate. It's the kind of vulnerability that could easily collapse into self-indulgence, yet the track maintains enough musical momentum to keep such concerns at bay. The riffs—described in the press materials as "great," a typically modest British understatement—do indeed carry considerable heft, providing the necessary backbone for Cawthorn's vocal delivery.
Recorded between Abbey Lane Studios in Derby and Cawthorn's bedroom, where he also handled production and mastering, "Lifestyle" benefits from this dual approach. The professional studio lends weight and clarity, while the bedroom recordings presumably capture a more intimate, unguarded quality. It's a combination that works surprisingly well, avoiding both the sterility of over-production and the amateurish roughness that can plague DIY efforts.
Barber's drumming deserves particular mention. His composition brings genuine dynamism to the track, shifting between restraint and release with the kind of instinctive feel that can't be taught. The influence of diverse acts from The White Stripes to Fontaines D.C. manifests not in direct quotation but in attitude—a willingness to serve the song while maintaining a distinctive voice.
The band's recent appearance at Nottingham's Beat the Streets Festival suggests they're already translating this recorded energy into live performance, always the true test for any guitar band. One can imagine "Lifestyle" working particularly well in that context, its anxious themes finding resonance with an audience that has grown up in uncertain times, its musical muscle providing the cathartic release such anxieties demand.
What makes "Lifestyle" worthy of attention isn't revolutionary innovation—this is very much a band working within established templates. Rather, it's the conviction with which they inhabit those templates, the authenticity of the emotional content, and the sheer craft on display. Cawthorn's multi-instrumentalist approach could have resulted in a muddied vision, but instead it produces a coherent whole, each element serving the song's central purpose.
The track reportedly came together quickly and easily, and while that might disappoint those who fetishize artistic struggle, it actually speaks to a natural chemistry and shared vision between Cawthorn and Barber. Sometimes the best work flows rather than fights its way into existence.
For a single, "Lifestyle" establishes Wired Euphoria as a band with both a clear sense of their musical heritage and the chops to honor it without being enslaved by it. The anxious, hypercondriac themes could easily become a one-note affair over the course of an album, but as a standalone statement, "Lifestyle" hits its mark. Whether Wired Euphoria can develop beyond their influences remains to be seen, but this first offering suggests they're worth watching.
The British guitar music tradition remains in capable hands with outfits like this emerging from provincial towns, armed with good riffs, honest lyrics, and the hunger to make themselves heard. "Lifestyle" may not reinvent the wheel, but it spins it with enough force to matter.