The Aubreys End 3 Year Hiatus with “Ketchup”
Music Review ★ Kenzie Gay ★ @kenzwrites ★ 2 Minutes
It’s been just under 3 years since the world has been given new work from The Aubreys. A musical duo that rose up from the remains of Calpurnia, a teenaged, indie rock band popularized by front man Finn Wolfhard, The Aubreys have been on and off again since their creation in 2020 due to Wolfhard’s solo project and acting career.
On October 2nd, the duo released a new EP by the name of Ketchup, signifying themselves as an act to be taken seriously.
The Aubreys via Alternative Press Ketchup is compiled of 4 songs: Soft Wind Eyes, Mile Straight, What I Eat, and Ketchup. Maintaining that familiar, angsty albeit whimsical tone that Wolfhard and Craig established far before the duo’s debut, the EP is nostalgically refreshing.
The Aubreys have always had a knack for combining the classic rock methods of storytelling-esque lyricism with synth-heavy instrumentals and that’s overly pungent across the songs that make up Ketchup. What’s different this time around is an added element of adulthood and the band’s confidence in their own sound.
Compared to prior releases, Ketchup is much older from a sonic perspective. Wolfhard and Craig are still very much youthful, but the music is no longer teenaged with a rough-around-the-edges vibe. It’s boyish, yes, but in a coming of age way that serves as a goodbye to their adolescence.
The duo’s confidence is also very obvious. Even in studio recordings, you can pick up on a musician’s attitude if you listen well enough. The Aubreys are no longer kids who are working on the development of their sound. They’re young men who know what they want, what they can do, and who they are — they aren’t afraid to show that, either.
After the release of Ketchup, The Aubreys’ future lives in the unknown. Wolfhard is currently on the road touring under his solo project with dates in cities such as Nashville, Phoenix, Portland, and his home city of Vancouver, though anything specifically with The Aubreys remains TBD.
