wilt’s grungy, haunting, rousing “moved along” is an indie rock must-listen, introducing the LA five-piece as a definitive artist to watch in 2024.
follow our Today’s Song(s) playlist
Stream: “moved along” – wilt
When my friend sent me this song, I could not believe I had never heard it before. It was exactly the kind of music I love – indie, grunge, rocky, anthemic. Sometimes songs take time to grow on you and become established in the matrix of your brain, slowly finding their way into your dopamine center over time and eventually becoming an intrinsic part of your personal musical canon. When I heard this song, I connected to it instantly. It was as if I had always known it, yet completely new and exciting. wilt, where have you been all my life?!
Released April 21, 2023, “moved along” – the grungy, haunting, rousing fourth track from Los Angeles based band wilt – is a must-listen for all fans of indie rock. In fact, I’ll go out on a limb and call it a must-listen full stop – stripped of any and all qualifiers. wilt – comprised of Chelsea Rifkin (lead vocalist), Aaron Liebman and Andrew Vance (guitar), Jake Shpiner (bass), and Dan Bermudez (drums) – are fairly new to the scene, but the group have already nailed down their sound. They released their first single in 2022 and subsequently released four more in 2023, including “moved along.” Through creating this song, wilt has daringly performed CPR on the ’90s grunge sound that defined a generation; revitalizing raw authenticity and using it to create new and exciting art. It is a revelation in modern music that I quite literally cannot stop listening to.
wilt are not shy about crediting their muses – their inspirations include Nirvana, Radiohead, and Weezer. The influence of these bands is tangible in “moved along” and wilt’s other tracks, but don’t get it twisted – their work is fully original and brings something new and fresh to the music scene while simultaneously reviving genres of old.
Several aspects set this band apart, both in the way that they flawlessly gel as a group and shine individually.
Rifkin’s vocals are nothing short of breathtaking – her vocal acrobatics during the chorus and pre-chorus (especially when juxtaposed against the intentionally bridled vocals in the intro) break the mold of what a grunge/rock song would traditionally entail, and her harmonies are beautiful and dissonant in an incredibly satisfying way. When she sings “Have you moved along?” leading into the chorus, I am immediately hit by a wave of chills every single time I listen to this track. It is cathartic and beautiful and resonates deeply. Rifkin’s voice is the perfect conduit for the lyrics’ impact.
Now I sit in the mess I made when I was sad
And things were bad and
I don’t think I can get clean from you
Your scent lingers on through stupid love songs
Will I ever get better from this ailment of tears
That come whenever I fear that
You’ve moved along
Overthinking and anxiety, love lost, fighting a losing battle against your own brain.
All these topics, just as relatable as they are soul crushing, are encapsulated perfectly within the lyrics of this song. It is honest in a way that is rare in music: plainly; laying one’s soul bare for the listener to hear in a simple and straightforward way. This is how I’m feeling and this is why. It makes the listener feel seen and related to.
I am thrown by the things
That I feel when I’m alone.
I am hurt by the knives
That you throw at me when I’m already down.
Every piece of this song just works, down to the smallest details. The control and meticulous technicality allow (somewhat paradoxically) for the song to feel wild and chaotic while never feeling lost or overdone. The guitar is timed perfectly for emotional impact; utilizing slides, riffs, and measured restraint to build to the climax of the song, where the music becomes untamed and explosive. Same with the drums – the heartbeat of the song, quickening in pace when necessary and fading into the background and halting completely when the song calls for it. They underscore the grunge rock aspect of the track. The song mixes consistency and pattern breaking in a perfect way.
“moved along” is an incredible, powerful song, and it’s shocking that many people have yet to hear it.
It’s time to change that. The world needs to hear wilt. I’m really looking forward to what they will bring to the music scene in 2024 – they are just getting started, and it’s only up from here.
— —
:: stream/purchase moved along here ::
:: connect with wilt here ::
Stream: “moved along” – wilt
— — — —
Connect to wilt on
TikTok, Instagram
Discover new music on Atwood Magazine
© courtesy of the band
© courtesy of the band
:: Today’s Song(s) ::
follow our daily playlist on Spotify
:: Stream wilt ::
