Release Date: May 17, 2011
Let’s Wrestle has prided themselves on being as “raw” as possible—whatever that means. The British rock trio assembled in 2005 and released a series of singles leading up to their debut album. In the Court of Wrestling Let’s came out in 2009, the album named after King Crimson’s In the Court of Crimson King. Let’s Wrestle’s debut received glowing reviews and now the group is back at it with Nursing Home.
Nursing Home brings you back to the 1990s, when everybody had a band that played in their garage, but this one is a cut above. The album starts with the dirty “In My Dreams (Part 2)” where lyricist, Wesley Patrick Gonzalez takes us through his scatterbrained dreams. There are visions of Greek men fighting in a pharmacy and even battling Pokémon charactors: “I punched Pidgeotto right in the face.”
Nursing Home continues through cleverly written songs. “In the Suburbs” celebrates the cul-de-sacs of the world. Gonzalez feels cozy in the monotony of suburban living. “In the suburbs I’ll have dinner with my mother and play computer games all night/‘Cause I feel so safe here.” While most would criticize the suburbs Gonzalez embraces the lack of variety.
“In the Suburbs” leads into the fuck-you anthem of the album, “Bad Mammaries.” “Aren’t you a bit wrinkled to be a nymphomaniac?/And aren’t you a bit arrogant to be so insignificant?” Gonzalez continues to wonder how some people are just so well liked.
The writing is the star of Nursing Home as Gonzalez plays with sarcasm, apathy and even heartbreak in “I Am Useful.”
Although Nursing Home features many well written tracks, there are a few that are lacking. “There’s a Rockstar in My Room” is too literal (guess what the song is about). “I’m So Lazy” is also pretty straightforward: “I’m so lazy/I’m so lazy/I can’t sleep.”
Where the album truly falls short is in the actual music. The songs seem to blend together except for the two sedated songs, “For My Mother” and “I Am Useful.” Most of the guitar riffs are muddy and the instruments sound clustered, giving the album a taste of grunge.
While Let’s Wrestle stumbled over their own feet for a moment, Nursing Home put forth a sharp anthology of lyrics and stuck to their “raw” style.
Let’s Wrestle – Nursing Home Tracklist:
- “In Dreams Part II”
- “If I Keep on Loving You”
- “In the Suburbs”
- “Bad Mammaries”
- “Dear John”
- “For My Mother”
- “I’m So Lazy”
- “There’s a Rockstar in My Room”
- “I Forgot”
- “I Am Useful”
- “I Will Not Give In”
- “Getting Rest”
