After listening to Wapddi‘s 으악! 나는 내던져졌다!, I came away impressed. And less than a year later, Wapddi released Like Our Friend Murphy. My question is – how the fuck does an album like this happen? Like the Bandcamp tags say, this is a perfect fit in midwestern emo like Tiny Moving Parts and Modern Baseball to American Football. But then it also has pieces of Anamanaguchi. It’s so bizarre and amazing.
I really wonder how Wapddi was introduced to midwest emo and how they were able to craft songs in this genre so precisely with high technical ability. Just the drums are so varied and complex inside the songs with the fusion between the guitars and bass, it makes no logical sense. “Sheep Rain” and “Story” are only hints of the brilliance of these nine songs.
“Dachshund” is the lead single because it combines the frantic and precise composition of their music. It also highlights the midwest emo influence the best. And then with “6v6 Pt. 1: Thank you for the 7 years” which sounds like a chiptune-stripped Anamanaguchi, Wapddi is showing off.
And then going back to midwest emo on “Blue LED,” like what the fuck is going on. This album can’t be better with each song. I’m not sure where the 2024 versions of “Two Points” and “I’m still trapped!” originally came from but they fit into the puzzle well.
Like Our Friend Murphy is a little over 44 minutes long and one of the best albums in 2024. This is an album that transcends the release year and sounds like a genre classic. I can’t believe how good the album sounds on a passing listen and the depth it has when you start paying attention.
Fucking amazing.
우리의 친구 머피처럼 (Like our friend Murphy) by Wapddi
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Written by Chris P for Korean Indie.