EP Review: Cruz Beckham - 'Wear & Tear'
Fiery, punchy and hitting the ground running, Cruz Beckham is determined to introduce himself on his own terms with debut ‘Wear & Tear’.
The Beckhams are a family who have been in the cultural zeitgeist forever. Whether it be sport, fashion, or music, they are a name who have always been at the forefront of popular culture. For Cruz Beckham, growing up in the public eye was all he ever knew. Having fought against the world’s expectations all his life, theres a kind of divine justice in the way he has now forged his own path in rockstardom. The ultimate rebellion, a demonstration that only he can decide who he wants to be. At just 22, he’s been building for years, developing his sound. With this debut release, the world are finally catching up to what he’s been working on. We finally get to see Cruz, this time on his own terms.
When reflecting on his intentions and hopes with the release, Beckham wanted to cast a light on the scars not only on his life, but on everyone’s. He explained
‘Wear &Tear is synonymous with a life lived and all the experiences so far; the good and the bad, the learning curves and everything in-between. No matter how different each experience is, we have all felt things that make us feel human. We’ve all got our wear and tear.’
It seeks to celebrate the moments that unite us. Heartbreak. Jealousy. Joy. Love. Having a belter of a time with your mates. With a polished ferocity, Beckham wants to channel it all.
The EP offers just a taste of Beckham’s ever evolving sound. Built clearly with live performance in mind, across the 6 tracks he seeks to capture the spontaneity and excitement that comes from playing live with an audience. Its raw, reckless, and intense – everything you could imagine from a kid seeking to break down the mold he was squeezed into by the world around him. Sonically, you can hear a myriad of influences that span from indie rock, psych pop, alt guitar and grunge.
Of all the tracks on the EP, a firm favourite will likely emerge in ‘Seeing Red’. The final track on the record, Cruz describes it as a retelling of a ‘totally unserious moment of frustration’. With soaring melodies against guitar riffs with infectious energy, it no doubt will quickly become a highlight in the live sets we can expect to hear later this year. Laced with tongue-in-cheek humour, it’s an invaluable insight into the personality behind the artist. Cruz wears many hats. Instrumentalist, producer, in this case maybe even comedian. A nod to his competitive spirit, he pokes fun at the way we all can turn from something being just fun and games into something to be won or lost. With sport as a reference point (cheers to Dad), he points out how we all have that turning point; the moment where we decide something is worth fighting for, regardless of how silly or insignificant it may be. Like a rag to a bull, we all have something that stokes the fire.
A personal standout has to be the eponymous track, ‘Wear and Tear’. It was one of those released as a single but despite having heard it already, listening again with the thematic and sonic context of the rest of the EP gives it so much more meaning. The production across the whole record is stellar – Justin Raisen and Lewis Pesacov have once again demonstrated the incredible ability to make a track feel like you’re hearing it in a packed festival arena. What is special about this track though is the lyrics. With celebrities, particularly those whose entire lives have been spread across tabloids and televisions, we rarely get the chance to understand and see the ‘real’ person behind the name. In recent years discourse around these things has improved, though many still likely will disregard this project as another nepo-baby seeking to cash in on their parent’s clout. I implore you to put reservations aside and look closer. For a young man who has endured things that so few could ever truly understand, the lyrics on this track give a glimpse into a life we think we know:
‘I’ll give you the world if you give me your name, you’ll have no reason for your guilts and shame. I wanna wear you down, I wanna wear you down … I’m a fake, I’m a fan, I’m the best of your friends. I’m your fate, I’m your plan in the palm of your hand. I’m your hurt, I’m your pain, I’m the blood in your veins. Watch me pump through your life, I’ll drive you insane.’
Celebrity and gossip aside, these are the words of someone who just wants to be seen. That’s something we can all relate to, regardless of who our parents are or what the world thinks we should be. We have all felt worn down, we have all been driven insane by the expectations put upon us. Yes he may be a Beckham, but Cruz is a person first.
Gearing up to go on the road, the next few weeks are non-stop for Cruz Beckham and his band The Breakers. Having performed at a handful of festivals already this summer (the clips from Lollapalooza are nothing short of riotous), he is keen to keep up the momentum with sets at Reading and Leeds towards the end of the month before jetsetting across the pond for Shaky Knees in Atlanta. What we can expect next is anyones guess but what is for sure is that this is a new era of Beckham, one that we can all get excited about.
Words by Kirsty-Ann Thomson
