New York – Hesitant Alien opens with the jarring beeping of “Bureau.” The track sounds vaguely like My Chemical Romance, perhaps only because it features lead vocalist and co-founder Gerard Way’s unmistakable yowl, but there is also something unmistakably different. Like really different. This observation may seem a little “no duh” to some; however, it is impossible to grade an artist’s solo work, especially his debut, without some comparison to his previous project.
The boys of My Chemical Romance were emo rock demi-gods dressed in red, white and black. The announcement of their hiatus and the memory of the band will thus no doubt color the initial reactions to Way’s new record. As MCR lead man, he demonstrated his abilities as a lyricist, musician and showman and upon launching his solo career, raised the question: can Way on his own, without his bandmates behind him, achieve the same success? Survey says ‘yes.’
The punchy “Action Cat” is an early signifier that the album is going to be an energetic fun house with hints of the edge and fuzz. The darkness, seen both in MCR’s music and appearance, was traded in for a shock of clown-red hair and a blue, blue electric blue blazer.
Way’s new image matches the bright sound of Hesitant Alien. The songs, although they thematically wander into MCR territory, do so without making the music weighty to digest. Without the layer of teen angst, Way’s music appeals to a wider audience. The opening “ooooo woah oooo”s of Hesitant Alien single “No Show” are quick to convert anyone with doubts. The song boosts Way’s characteristic muddled vowels and crunchy, fuzzy guitar, both welcome and well-crafted changes to Way’s sound.
The persistent piano of “Brother” is a successful re-application of an instrument, heavily featured in late MCR. The song adheres to the familiar themes of siblings and self-medication, but instead of sounding like something off their The Black Parade, feels refreshing and new. Lyrically, the song is familiar. Way has spent his career writing incredibly personal songs and has yet to skimp on mining his own life for lyrics. Given this tendency, you would think “Brother,” yet another song about rain and losing sleep, would feel recycled and redundant; however, “Brother” is just the opposite. Despite reusing some parts of his past persona, Way is managing to successfully reinvent himself. The new Gerard Way still has trouble sleeping and still writes songs about it, but the conversation is different.
Way continues his triumphant journey with the pop-minded “Millions” and the heavier “Zero Zero.” The tracks represent the two sides of Hesitant Alien: the lighthearted (falling out of) love song and the moody heavily distorted song. The latter feels rather at home amongst the rest of Way’s career. Lines like “Call me zero, zero, zero” are how he made his name, so they seem natural even after Way’s dramatic sonic transformation. “Juarez” and “Get the Gang Together” are other examples from the chaotic, gritty side of Hesitant Alien.
All that wailing and fuzz is balanced out by songs like “Drugstore Perfume,” which bring back the sunny disposition and almost-English sound. The track is one of the most impressive, lyrically speaking, on the album. The songs sums up to a succinct little story, without becoming too wordy. Its only challenger would be “Action Cat,” which wins points for its concise, simple sincerity. The rhyme heavy “How It’s Going To Be” is a close runner-up. Part nonsensical, part theatrical, the song wins us over with Way-sian lines like “And I wouldn’t lie / I never really wanted more / Than what I ever really needed after all / Someone that hates to see me go.” Again, the topic is familiar, but the conversation is different. It doesn’t sound like Way angrily scrawled these lyrics in a composition notebook in between classes. In a different, perhaps more adolescent light, this introspective jaunt would come across as temperamental. This song would be a completely different experience if it were set to, say, mournful acoustic guitar. Luckily it wasn’t. The same can be said for the album’s final track, “Maya the Psychic.” The nonsensical, fantastical high-energy finish seems a perfect way to end what has been a refreshing change to Way’s usual sound.
With a change in tempo and tone, Gerard Way embarked on a new musical journey with the uneasy task of overcoming the image that launched his career. Hesitant Alien proves that he can leave the genre he was once known for and reinvent himself. With a new hair color and a spring to his sound, Way wrote an album so unlike any MCR release. Of course the album holds wisps of My Chemical Romance, but only in that they both carry Way’s sonic stamp. Way repurposed all those theatrics and runaway emotions, with a touch of Brit Pop to form his debut. You can read into the darker moments and distortion in certain songs and draw parallels to MCR, but on a whole Hesitant Alien is as separate as it is successful.
Way is doing some October dates on both U.S. coasts before heading to the U.K. in November.
Zoe Marquedant
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