WØNDERLVND by Despain (Self-released EP)
WØNDERLVND by Despain (Self-released EP)
WØNDERLVND by Despain (Self-released EP)Matt Skajem has truly experienced quite a life in music, with his past pop punk bands such as Out With The Old and Best Kept Secret impressing fans at the Vans Warped Tour and beyond. Very outspoken and massively talented, Skajem presents Despain, the next compelling chapter of his auditory destiny. WØNDERLVND is the name of Despain’s debut endeavor, and what a stark and cathartic adventure this 6-song EP unveils. Skajem has always been fearless and open, and the lyrics and soundscapes found within the vast confines of WØNDERLVND show an artist grappling with his own personal demons and reinventing himself in the process. While there are no easy denouements to be found within this situation we all call life, Despain presents his own WØNDERLVND with absolutely gripping results.
In the midst of living in this deceptively magical metropolis known as the City Of Angels, Despain presents trip hopping ear candy beats while rapping out deeply personal lyrics. The subject of addiction is what this journey through WØNDERLVND is all about, and the tunes found within are sure to haunt and possess the listener long after Skajem implores America, Help Yourself at the devastating grand finale of the EP. Whether traversing through the witchery of Chemicals (running through my head) or wading through Pools Of Hennessy, Skajem’s Despain confronts a life of “being fucked up again” and the results are nothing short of mesmerizing.
Hollywood is filled with talented individuals who have a story to tell, and Matt Skajem’s Despain is a tale of losing yourself within the throes of any kind of addiction you can find, and trying to regain control through your art. In the true DIY spirit, WØNDERLVND by Despain, even at its most relentlessly despairing, is nothing short of a triumph for an artist we’ll be hearing a lot more of in the future days ahead. “Lost. hoping that I find my heart again,” expresses Skajem on Buried In The Backyard – with the unveiling of WØNDERLVND, Despain has certainly found a creative outlet that pulsates with imagination and intrigue.
