wallsocket: a deep dive and review

What are you thinking? What do you have? Where does your money come from? Who are you forgetting? Do you wrap back around?

Cops and robbers | 97
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Wallsocket starts off with Cops and robbers, a captivating, energetic, and glitchy track that introduces us to our first character in the wonderful story of Wallsocket. The bass at the start is mysterious and dim, quickly accompanied by an explosion of noise. Right away, underscores details the story of Joshua Domingo, father of S*nny Domingo, and his embezzlement of around $425,000 dollars from a bank where he was employed for over a decade. We find out that his primary motive for this was to supply his meth addiction. (“It all started when I didn’t have enough to pay for the crystal”) I think that Cops and robbers really drew me into Wallsocket upon my first listen and made me realize, “Damn, this is gonna be an album that might actually change my life.” (And boy, was I right!) The way underscores pronounces certain words in this wacky and exaggerated manner on certain lines is as addictive as a drug. I really love how the synths, guitar, and various other instruments throughout this song feel like they’re out of control, in a rush, and all over the place. The high pace of the song gives you the same anxious thrill you’d feel as a criminal on the run, which is the exact position of the character we follow. I think that the bridge is my favorite part of this song, and I personally love that moment where she goes (“...case goes cooooooooold”) in the background around 2:50. Overall, Cops and robbers is an electrifying track that sets your expectations high for the rest of Wallsocket, both as a musical project and as a story on its own. Wheeeeen’s the last time.. you saw someone with a perfect introductory track?

Locals (Girls like us) | 97
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Our next track is Locals, one that begins with a perfectly overwhelming jumble of words that vaguely describe the experiences of our three main characters, S*nny, Mara, and Old money bitch (later found out to be named Samantha, but I’ll be referring to her as Old money bitch for the rest of this review). At the end of this litter of phrases, we are greeted by the catchy hook of this track (“Arms, body, legs, flesh, skin, bone, sinew, good luck!”). The first actual lyrics are meant to represent the perspective of Mara, who we quickly learn has an unhealthy infatuation with S*nny. Their relationship is entirely parasocial, and Mara has been watching and essentially stalking S*nny since they were children, which Mara believes S*nny has no idea about. (“We’ve been inseparable since 2009, she just doesn’t know ‘bout it yet”) The next verse “wraps around” (this choice of words is important) and is told from the perspective of S*nny, where she mentions a ten-foot pole, and we can see that she does not want to associate or interact with Mara. I really like the relationship between S*nny and Mara so far, because I feel like I can definitely relate to both sides of it. Locals is probably the first track off of Wallsocket that I feel you could recommend to that one friend who strictly listens to mainstream songs and doesn’t have a very broad taste in music. I think it’s the most upbeat and catchy song throughout this project, and I can definitely see it becoming a hit on its own. Even though I feel that it’s comparable to more mainstream pop music, this track is still eccentric and experimental. I think Gabby start’s verse is fun and weird and adds to the track’s distinctiveness, plus the hook and intro provide a little bit of edge to an otherwise cheerful song. Impractical is crucial!

Duhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh | 100
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Wallsocket’s third track is entirely voiced by S*nny. Similar to the previous track, it begins and continues with a sequence of words, except it’s the same “Duhhh!” repeated rather than a variety of terms. This track is deep and powerful, highlighting the difficult battle of experiencing gender dysphoria while also trying to maintain a relationship with a higher power, specifically God. S*nny describes being transgender as having an illness, likely influenced by the social stigma around it. I think that the heaviest part of this song is the bridge. It concludes with the line (“I’m not scared of death, no, I’m scared of God”), and this further emphasizes how society uses God and misinterprets lines from the Bible to defend harmful rhetoric. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this track since the day I first listened to it. Duhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh is extremely relatable and comforting to trans and queer people who struggle to balance feeling proud of their identity with being close to God. Perfect, indeed.

You don’t even know who I am | 96
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We feel a slight mood shift as our next track brings the album to a slower pace. We hear a distorted voice repeat a bunch of praise (“You can do it! I’m ready to support your next effort”) You don’t even know who I am is told by Mara, and it emphasizes the parasocial relationship between her and S*nny. Mara breaks into S*nny’s house and tries to live like her, putting on her makeup and trying on her clothes. She tries to justify this action and use S*nny’s past against her, claiming (“I know that I scare you, but I’m nowhere near the worst you’ve seen”). This song can absolutely be taken out of the context of Wallsocket and depict the parasocial relationship that an obsessed fan has with a celebrity. Many people, especially in today’s modern age and with the invention of the Internet, feel that it is okay to pry into celebrities’ lives and find out every detail about them. Behind a screen, you can maintain anonymity while saying anything about anybody. I feel like underscores approaches this topic perfectly, by taking the perspective of a crazed fan rather than an artist, the listener feels a lot more uncomfortable. I enjoy how this track is a lot slower than what we’ve heard before. The deep, melancholic guitar paired with underscores’ soft yet passionate singing makes the track feel somber and depressing.

Johnny johnny johnny | 99
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Track 5 is Johnny johnny johnny, an upbeat track that is surprisingly misleading. We start off with a joyful pop beat that is joined by the hook and title of the song. Quickly, we learn that this track is not going to match its cheerful instrumental. S*nny starts by detailing how, from a very young age, she was exposed to weird men on the internet preying on her. (“I stayed away from the creeps, but they got me through my screen”) Johnny, the antagonist of this track, groomed S*nny into believing he genuinely cared for her, and she ended up meeting up with him the day she turned 18. I don’t think it’s necessary to detail what happened after, but near the end of the song, we learn that S*nny realized what was being done to her, and she was successfully able to escape him. (“I exited my body and it got up off the carpet, and it kept on telling lies until they got me out the door”) I think that, like the last track, underscores handled this topic perfectly. I really like how the beat draws you in, makes you think this is going to be a fun pop song, and completely does a 180. It kind of emphasizes how victims see their perpetrators as innocent, trustworthy people without realizing they’re the complete opposite. This track is really good at making you feel uncomfortable, and I’ve felt uneasy many times while listening to it. Makes me reflect on a lot of my own experiences.

Shoot to kill, kill your darlings | 100
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This track is the first real introduction to Old money bitch. Told from her perspective, she speaks about not understanding the motive behind people, especially young teenagers, aspiring to join the military. (“You’re still just a little kid, you shouldn’t have to choose how you die”) The song can be seen as a tribute to her late friend, Jack, who passed away while fighting in the military. This song really stood out to me, being the one song from Wallsocket that has made me cry repeatedly. It makes me think about somebody extremely close to me. Despite my personal connection to this song, I have other reasons to love it. The beat feels crunchy and addictive, keeping me constantly hooked. Throughout the song, we hear the sound of some sort of mine going off and getting higher and higher. It makes you feel uneasy and adds a lot of tension to the song. The chorus right before the fourth verse ends with an explosion and scream, likely representing how Jack died by stepping on a mine. The ending of the song is a distorted repetition of the words (“I just don’t want you to die”), showing how deep Old money bitch cares for her friend Jack and anybody else who might want to join the army. It breaks my heart to think about how many people enlist because they don’t have anybody who cares and worries about them like this. This track is so beautiful and so raw, so genuine and passionate, and for that, it is my favorite track throughout Wallsocket.

Horror movie soundtrack | 97
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Shoot to kill, kill your darlings smoothly transitions into Horror movie soundtrack, continuing the story of Old money bitch, and how she is now trying to convince herself to end her life after Jack’s passing, (“Lay down your arms, surrender at once, aim for the head or go with your gut”) I really like how eerie this track feels, especially in the way underscores drags on her vocals in a whispered tone. I feel like I can kind of relate to it. Not only in the way Old money bitch speaks about her suicidal ideation, but in the way that she explains how having material possessions does not erase her emotional numbness. (“The world’s in my fingers and I can’t feel a thing”) This track gets a lot across without having to say much. The ending lines, where she repeats (“You won’t get away with this”), obviously hold a lot of anger, though it’s not exactly clear to whom it’s directed to. This is definitely a track that’s a little more up to interpretation rather than being upfront about its meaning.

Old money bitch | 98
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Serving as an ending to what I like to call the Old money bitch trilogy, we get an upbeat pop song that I would put in a similar category as Locals. This song is fun, cheerful, and something that, yet again, you could definitely recommend to a mainstream pop listener. In this track, Mara criticizes Old money bitch, calling her out on where her money comes from and claiming (“She’s not like you or me, she’s the enemy”). Old money bitch is clearly depressed at this point, still mourning the loss of Jack. Mara doesn’t know about this and makes fun of Old money bitch because she has no idea about it. Ironically, Mara is completely projecting and is wealthy herself. This track is obviously a commentary on nepotism, but also on how people are rejected solely based on where they come from and not who they really are. I really love this song and the fun little piano that plays occasionally throughout. The breakdown at the end of the bridge is probably my favorite part. Old money bitch is addictive ear-candy that I find myself looping over and over.

Geez louise | 96
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After the Old money bitch trilogy has concluded, we are greeted by the longest track of Wallsocket. Geez louise is a song that I’d consider a weird mix of rock and country. The track starts off with a sharp electric guitar, which is accompanied by a banjo that plays throughout this track and also many others in Wallsocket. This track is told by S*nny and her friend and further explores the connection between S*nny’s gender identity, religion, and even her cultural roots, (“You’re telling me that it’s my responsibility to dig these roots after ages of attack?”) The theme of all the characters in Wallsocket being connected is also highlighted here, with the chorus going (“He’s just like me, she’s just like me, they’re just like me, damnit”) I think here is a good time to bring up the horseshoe theory, which was a big inspiration for underscores while writing this project. A common theme throughout the tracks is “wrapping back around” like a horseshoe, showing how opposite ends of something are closer than we think. We quite literally see a giant horseshoe in the cover art for Wallsocket. I personally like how this track is arguably a lot more aggressive and more passionate than the others. I think that the fifth verse trailing into the outro is the most satisfying part of this track. While I don’t listen to this one as much as the other tracks because of its length, it’s definitely worth listening to every once in a while.

Seventyseven dog years | 94
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Seventyseven dog years starts with Mara detailing what lengths she went to to stalk S*nny. We learn that she was hiding in S*nny’s trunk (“I hated it but I took what I could get, in the trunk of your car at 9 AM”). After this, S*nny and Mara open up to each other. S*nny tells Mara about her father’s embezzlement, and Mara desperately wants to make him pay for what he’d done. I think it’s important to note that because they’ve had a conversation, their relationship is no longer parasocial. Mara has been able to reach S*nny, which will be explored more in the next track. I have mixed feelings about this track. I think it’s one where we see more country-style elements, which is something underscores mentioned she wanted to incorporate when making the songs for Wallsocket. The song gets a little repetitive, but the crunchy and distorted sound effects throughout keep you hooked. I like how she pronounces a lot of the words here, and (“Pony up, motherfucker!”) is absolutely stuck in my head. While Seventyseven dog years is a great track, I feel as though it’s one of the less sonically interesting songs off of Wallsocket.

Uncanny long arms | 97
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The following track starts off slow and quiet, gradually increasing in intensity. Uncanny long arms is a glitchy, electronic rock track where Mara comes to realize, reflect on, and regret her obsessive behavior. The title of this track refers to Mara being able to reach and speak to S*nny, with her metaphorical uncanny long arms giving her the ability to do so, (“I had this crazy feeling that nothing was out of reach anymore, and I had a terrible feeling I could touch you from over here”) Mara goes through arm reduction surgery so that she can reverse what she’s done, dying in the process. Jane Remover’s chopped-up breaths can be heard throughout the song, representing Mara’s resuscitation. Mara describes her time being dead as having true peace. At the end of the song, we hear a callback to Inlaws, a demo for Kinko’s field trip 2006 by underscores. The lyrics absolutely fit Mara’s manufactured personality and fabricated experiences (“Just admit it, you don’t have a world that you’re up against”). I feel like Jane Remover was the perfect feature for this track. The way the song builds up and falls back down again like a rollercoaster is thrilling. The heavy guitar feels raw and perfectly representative of Mara’s feelings during this period of reflection. Like most tracks on this project, my favorite part is near the end, beginning from the third verse until the conclusion of the song.

Good luck final girl | 98
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Wallsocket finishes off with a reflective acoustic ballad, having our “final girls” (S*nny, Mara, and Old money bitch) say their farewells. The first verse is spoken by Mara, highlighting how, despite her obsession with S*nny seeming to have come to an end, she still holds obsessive tendencies. Following this verse, S*nny speaks about self-acceptance and relying on herself rather than other people, such as Mara, Johnny, and even her runaway father. Finally, Old money bitch vents about “indefinitely postponing” her suicide and being brought to tears over Jack. All three of the girls mention trains in their brief stories, so we can assume they have left the small town of Wallsocket. This song is relatively short, yet I feel that it serves as the perfect conclusion to this story. The slowed-down ending gives you time to reflect on what has happened throughout Wallsocket. I don’t really know exactly what else to say about this finale. I feel like the verses could have been a little longer, just to provide more closure for the girls’ stories. I must say that I do like the contrast between Wallsocket’s typical fast pace and this track’s drawn-out, relaxed mood. I don’t know how to explain it, but I can totally see this song playing at the end of a film that ruins your life in the best way possible. Similar to how Wallsocket has changed mine.