Wipers
Alien Boy

Often, the lesser works of a band end up being crucial for fully understanding their masterpieces, even if they are obscure and less appreciated. They might be composed of the scraps from masterpieces, perhaps deemed too complex or too eccentric compared to the sound they intended to recreate. In the case of the Wipers, these were darker, more convoluted, less immediate compositions compared to those found on the debut LP "Is This Real?".

The outtakes from "Is This Real?" were thus collected on "Alien Boy" (1980), a distressing and distressed EP mirroring the youth of that time, of which Greg Sage was the spokesperson. His voice, dark, hoarse, and raspy, is the most significant feature of the Wipers' music, apocalyptic and pessimistic, as documented by the lyrics and the brevity of this record: four tracks with a total duration of eight minutes, at the end of which the work seems pleasantly unfinished, unrealized.

The first track, which gives the EP its name, starts quietly, with a barely noticeable bass, but gradually makes its presence felt with the tribal rhythm of the drums. The tension is alive from the start and is accentuated by the entrance of a nervous, claustrophobic guitar. The piece never explodes, rather it keeps the listener perpetually in anticipation of a climax that in fact will not occur. Probably just like Sage, who expected something from life but ended up resigned to the fact that nothing new or shocking would ever happen. "Alien Boy" is finally sucked back into the same bass line it began with. "Image Of Man" at times recalls the dark wave of Siouxsie And The Banshees, but slightly harsher and sped up, other times it seems to decidedly precede the indie rock of Dinosaur Jr. and similar bands, given its lo-fi aesthetic. The lyrics perfectly express the sense of depression and alienation that afflicts the leader, apathetic and incessantly disappointed by life ("This tired need surrounds me"). Therefore, it could have easily been among the tracks of "Is This Real?" for its strong sonic and thematic affinity.

Hints of more comforting melodies are glimpsed in the power pop of "Telepathic Love", where Sage's voice sounds almost carefree. Even the guitar writes brighter phrases, despite occasionally folding into passages that are between sad and moving. The fleeting punk of "Voices In The Rain" closes, entrapping with its sinister and pounding bass line. The guitar instills its usual dose of anguish, amidst noise and outbursts. The singing is actually almost a spoken monologue, an inner journey through Sage's mental struggles, with words running over a relentless instrumental terrain. What concerns him most is searching for something worth living for, a shred of an ideal to pursue, which gives his life meaning. Exactly what the youth of his time had lost sight of. Thus, the lyrics of "Voices In The Rain" can be deemed universal and very current, given that today's youth believe they have achieved satisfaction from life, while in reality, they are merely chasing ephemeral needs. Sage understood this, hence his continuous search for himself: "As darkness falls /Nothing left at all/ What's in this street/ I begin to follow/ Trying to find it/ But it's all in vain". This concept was, however, already expressed and intensified in "Potential Suicide", one of the many gems of "Is This Real?".

"Alien Boy" was incorporated into the '82 reissue of "Is This Real?" without the band's knowledge, so most will know it as an integral part of the debut album, although it was conceived as a standalone work.

Listening to "Alien Boy" could be cathartic for today's depressed teenager.