Weird Nightmare : Hoopla
Where is the line between what we consider to be a dream and a nightmare? You’d think the answer would be clear-cut: dreams evoke joy whereas nightmares trigger fear. But as the dualistic mind falls to the wayside amid the progression of human intelligence, so does binary thinking: To put it simply, reality is rarely black and white. That’s the pickle in which guitarist/vocalist Alex Edkins finds himself at this point in his life, which coincides with an ongoing hiatus by his primary band, post-grunge noisemakers Metz. Rather than waiting for Metz’s hiatus to end (if it ever does), Edkins instead fires up his solo project and speaks straight from the heart.
Named Weird Nightmare, Edkins’ one-man band was due for a new album anyway, as four years have elapsed between his self-titled debut and this sophomore effort. Hoopla is also far more personalized to Edkins than its predecessor; whereas Weird Nightmare boasted guest spots by fellow Sub Pop roster pals Bully and Chad VanGaalen, Hoopla doesn’t contain any featured appearances by other artists. And it’s fitting: throughout the record, Edkins stays laser-focused on addressing the emotional roller coaster that is a failing romantic relationship, the breakup itself and where exes then find themselves. The result is a record far more honest, direct and intimate.
Metz and Weird Nightmare are both on Sub Pop’s current roster, a goal many musicians strive to achieve. But that feat doesn’t relieve the Toronto artist of heartbreak, a theme that rears its head on each Hoopla track. Admirably, Edkins doesn’t express himself with doom-and-gloom and woe-is-me pessimism that probably would’ve made for a more repellant record. To the contrary, Hoopla resembles an unexpectedly uplifting record with copious amounts of pop-oriented positivity (e.g. “Might See You There,” “Baby Don’t” and “Bright City Lights”). Moving on and maintaining hope after a breakup is the only attitude with which one can achieve self-growth and find a new fish in the proverbial sea.
Equally or perhaps even more impressive than the total transparency Edkins fed into the lyrics is his musical and songwriting talents exhibited throughout the whole of Hoopla. He doesn’t let more than a few seconds elapse at any point on the record without him inserting a catchy hook or pleasant melody (e.g. “Headful of Rain,” “Never in Style”). Meanwhile, songs like “Forever Elsewhere” and are so exuberant and bursting with distortion-heavy guitar, one wonders if The Flaming Lips or Guided by Voices might try to recruit Edkins the next time a slot were to open up in either of those bands.
Adding to the shape of Hoopla, closing track “Where I Belong” sums up the frustration of having a broken heart and even posits what the antidote could be in such situations. For Edkins, it’s touring and moving forward with his career, not letting lost love sabotage his innate desire to make music. Strong as he is as a musician, Edkins has to keep chasing his nightmare dream.
Label: Sub Pop
Year: 2026
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Weird Nightmare : Hoopla
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