Basement WIRED
Basement's WIRED lands as a restless, live-minded reunion that remixes the band's post-hardcore roots into sharper alternative rock immediacy. Critics broadly agree the record delivers creative confidence and memorable moments - earning a 78/100 consensus score across 8 professional reviews - even as a few reviewers fl
Pick Up The Pieces is the standout because of its relentless hooks, dynamic drums and singalong choruses.
The title track “WIRED” is the album's emotional centerpiece, with a haunting, scathing chorus that defines its intent.
Best for listeners looking for creativity reclaiming and dynamic contrasts, starting with WIRED and Time Waster.
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See where this record sits inside the full critic-ranked discography.
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Full consensus notes
Basement's WIRED lands as a restless, live-minded reunion that remixes the band's post-hardcore roots into sharper alternative rock immediacy. Critics broadly agree the record delivers creative confidence and memorable moments - earning a 78/100 consensus score across 8 professional reviews - even as a few reviewers flag inconsistency between its peaks and quieter stretches. The title-track “WIRED” repeatedly emerges as the album's centrepiece, paired with opener “Time Waster” as high-energy bookends; other commonly cited best songs include “Head Alight”, “Deadweight” and “Broken By Design”.
Across professional reviews critics note recurring themes of anger, maturity and melodic optimism folded into gritty production and experimental textures. Praise concentrates on the album's live-ready songwriting and dynamic contrasts - punchy riffs, nimble solos and floaty choruses that translate into immediate stage anthems. Several reviewers highlight producer John Congleton's work for opening space for both fury and warmth, allowing quieter tracks like “The Way I Feel” and closer “Summer's End” to register as moments of vulnerability amid catharsis.
Nuance appears where critics diverge: many celebrate the record as a return to form and a reclamation of creativity after the hiatus, while some point to uneven sequencing and a handful of filler that prevents sustained momentum. For readers asking whether WIRED is worth a listen, the consensus suggests its highs - notably “WIRED” and “Time Waster” - make the collection a compelling, if not flawless, reintroduction of Basement's signature blend of melody and grit. Scroll down for full reviews and track-by-track takes.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
WIRED
7 mentions
"Opening track Time Waster swings out of the gates into title track WIRED, with a quintessential BASEMENT flourish of soaring, punchy choruses"— Distored Sound Magazine
Time Waster
5 mentions
"on opener ‘Time Waster’ and ‘Deadweight’ where these features are taken and ramped up"— Still Listening Magazine
Pick Up The Pieces
2 mentions
"Fast, punchy and incredibly hooky, the track is a uniquely infectious burst of high energy on the album."— Distored Sound Magazine
Opening track Time Waster swings out of the gates into title track WIRED, with a quintessential BASEMENT flourish of soaring, punchy choruses
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
Time Waster
WIRED
Deadweight
Broken By Design
Pick Up The Pieces
Embrace
Sever
The Way I Feel
Satisfy
Head Alight
Longshot
Summer's End
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What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 23 critics who reviewed this album
Di
Critic's Take
Basement return with WIRED, an album that feels like a reset and a reclaiming of creativity, and the best songs prove that point. The title pair “Time Waster” into “WIRED” shows the band swinging out of the gates with soaring, punchy choruses, while “Pick Up The Pieces” is a standout - fast, hooky and insanely propulsive. Alex Henery and Ronan Crix's guitar lines on “Deadweight” and “Satisfy” underline why these are among the best tracks on WIRED, balancing fuzz and sun-soaked melody. Closing with “Summer's End” gives the album a bright, anthem-ready finish that cements its strengths.
Key Points
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Pick Up The Pieces is the standout because of its relentless hooks, dynamic drums and singalong choruses.
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The album's core strengths are its dynamic contrasts, compelling guitar work, and the blend of melodic hooks with gritty intensity.
Themes
St
Critic's Take
There is a tangible sense of return and reinvention in Basement’s WIRED, where the best songs — notably “WIRED” and “Head Alight” — push the band into sharper, more urgent territory while remaining recognisably them. The reviewer admires how producer John Congleton opened space for experimentation, letting tracks like “Time Waster” and “Deadweight” ramp up classic frenzied guitar energy without over-polishing. At the same time the record's softer, more vulnerable moments such as “Broken By Design” and “The Way I Feel” reveal Andrew Fisher’s more open lyricism, making these among the best songs on WIRED. The closer “Summer’s End” caps the album perfectly, a dreamy summation that shows why the band’s leap after eight years feels worth it.
Key Points
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The title track “WIRED” is the album's standout for its urgency and boundary-pushing energy.
Critic's Take
Basement sound invigorated on WIRED, and the best songs — notably “WIRED” and “Deadweight” — are where the band’s blunt melodic muscle meets frayed emotional honesty. The reviewer’s voice is punchy and candid, praising the record’s combination of propulsive hooks and textured production while refusing to sentimentalize its rough edges. These standout tracks crystallize why fans ask about the best songs on WIRED - they balance immediacy with the album’s restless, urgent energy. Overall, the album’s highs make a strong case for basement-era grit translated into modern power-pop vigor.
Key Points
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The best song is best because it fuses blunt melodic force with textured, urgent production.
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The album’s core strength is its ability to wed propulsive hooks to raw, restless energy.
Themes
Critic's Take
Basement sound remarkably upbeat on WIRED, and the reviewer's enthusiasm centres on the opener “Time Waster” and the bounding “Satisfy”. The piece frames “WIRED” as a record of creative confidence that converts lighter studio sounds into heavy live mainstays, pointing to “Time Waster” and the title track “WIRED” as emblematic highlights. Nostalgia threads through the album, with the Nirvana-esque “Deadweight” and rustic “Summer's End” singled out as resonant moments that broaden the record's appeal. The tone remains celebratory yet measured, arguing these best tracks make WIRED feel like both a nod to the past and a step forward.
Key Points
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The best song is the scene-stealing opener "Time Waster" because it crystallises the album's upbeat, live-ready energy.
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The album's core strengths are nostalgia-tinged melodies and creative confidence that translate studio lightness into heavy live impact.
Themes
Th
Critic's Take
The reviewer frames Basement as a band defined by return and reinvention, and on WIRED that sense of promise carries through. The voice is measured and observant, noting how past post-hardcore energy has been folded into a straighter alternative rock approach that gives tracks momentum. For listeners asking about the best songs on WIRED, the review implies the album’s standouts are those that balance that old urgency with newer clarity. The critic’s tone stays grounded, crediting the band for settling into a convincing hybrid sound rather than chasing thrills.
Key Points
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The best moments are where post-hardcore urgency meets cleaner alternative-rock songwriting.
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The album’s core strength is its convincing blend of past promise and a steadier, more direct sound.
Themes
Critic's Take
Basement arrive on WIRED with a bruising, emotionally-driven statement that privileges catharsis and melody in equal measure. The reviewer's tone is urgent and observant, and it elevates the record's best songs - most notably “WIRED” and “Broken By Design” - as exemplars of the album's duality, anger and melancholy. The writing highlights how opener “Time Waster” and single “Head Alight” set the album's momentum and willingness to surprise, while quieter moments like “Embrace” deepen the emotional core. Overall the narrative praises the band for returning unshakeable after hiatus, making WIRED both familiar and newly ambitious.
Key Points
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The title track “WIRED” is the album's emotional centerpiece, with a haunting, scathing chorus that defines its intent.
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The album's core strengths are its balance of raucous urgency and melancholy, and its ability to surprise while remaining true to Basement's sound.
Themes
Critic's Take
Basement return with WIRED, an album that balances celebration and caution while spotlighting a few clear best tracks. The dreamy, echoing chords of “Broken By Design” serve as a salve to the pummelling title-track “WIRED”, making those two among the best songs on WIRED. Meanwhile “Head Alight” and “Time Waster” offer floaty choruses and rousing hooks that feel like live set essentials, which is precisely why fans will single them out as the best tracks on WIRED. This is an album that keeps Basement's core sound but plays with a freedom that makes its standouts land harder, and that tension is where the best songs live.
Key Points
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The best song is "Broken By Design" because its dreamy, echoing chords act as a calming counterpoint to the album's heavier moments.
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The album's core strength is balancing familiar post-hardcore energy with freer, live-ready hooks and melodic choruses.
Themes
An
Critic's Take
The reviewion voice is blunt and wry, noting that on WIRED the best tracks - notably “WIRED” and “Deadweight” - carry the record with sharp riffs and bruising momentum, while other cuts sag. The writer praises the guitar work and occasional nimble solos as saving graces, but criticizes uneven songwriting and filler that dulls the overall impact. It reads like a mixed endorsement: there are clear best songs on WIRED, yet the album never quite sustains their promise.
Key Points
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The best song is best because its whirring riffs, thunderous drumming and death-doom turn make it stand out.
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The album's core strength is muscular, classic death-metal riffing and occasional nimble soloing despite inconsistent songwriting.
Themes
Ir
Critic's Take
Mary Leland’s piece is focused on theatre, not music, so there are no assessments of the best songs on WIRED. The review contains no mention of Basement or any track from WIRED, and therefore cannot identify the best tracks on WIRED such as “WIRED” or “Time Waster” in the reviewer’s voice. This write-up concentrates on a theatre production and the Metropole pool as the real star, leaving any appraisal of Basement’s songs absent.
Key Points
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No individual tracks from WIRED are discussed in the review, so no best song can be identified from this text.
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The review’s core strength is vivid atmospheric description of the theatrical production and venue, not musical analysis.
Sh
Critic's Take
I cannot find any mention of Basement or WIRED in the provided review text, so there is no reviewer voice to replicate about the best songs on WIRED or which tracks like “WIRED” or “Deadweight” might stand out. The review is a year-in-review compendium that discusses many other albums and tracks, but it does not address Basement's record, therefore no best-tracks assessment for WIRED can be credibly extracted from this text.
Key Points
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No specific tracks from WIRED are discussed in the review text, so no best song can be identified.
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The review is a broad year-in-review piece covering many artists; it offers no evidence about Basement or this album.
Critic's Take
The review cites no songs from Basement or the album WIRED, so there are no identified best tracks to extract from this piece. If you want the best songs on WIRED, consult a music-focused review that actually names tracks such as “WIRED” or “Time Waster”.
Key Points
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No individual tracks from the provided tracklist are discussed, so no best song can be identified.
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The review's core strength is a detailed, critical account of Peter Thiel’s lectures rather than any album analysis.
Critic's Take
This review does not discuss individual songs from WIRED by Basement, so there are no declared best tracks or best songs on WIRED. The reviewer focuses on television seasons and quality over time, not on music or specific song highlights from the album. Because no tracks are meaningfully discussed in the text, a track-by-track ranking is unavailable.
Key Points
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No specific tracks from WIRED are mentioned in the review, so no best song can be identified.
Critic's Take
This review contains no discussion of Basement's WIRED or any of its songs, so there are no insights into the best songs on WIRED or why tracks like “WIRED” or “Deadweight” might stand out. The author focuses entirely on Bluetooth headphones, codecs and listening environments, not on the album's songwriting, performances or production. Because the review text does not mention any track from the provided tracklist, a ranked list of best tracks cannot be produced from this source. For queries about the best tracks on WIRED, consult reviews that directly address the album and its songs.
Key Points
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No individual track discussion in the review means no best-song determination can be made from this text.
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The review's core strength is a clear, practical explanation of Bluetooth audio and listening contexts, not an album critique.
Critic's Take
This review contains no discussion of Basement or WIRED tracks, so there are no best songs to extract from the text provided. Because the writer instead reflects on Prince and Purple Rain, I cannot identify the best tracks on WIRED from this review.
Key Points
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No specific Basement tracks are discussed, so no best song can be determined from this review.
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The review focuses on memories of Prince and Purple Rain rather than on album-specific critique, so album strengths are not assessed here.
Critic's Take
I cannot identify any discussion of the songs on WIRED by Basement in this review, so I cannot say which are the best songs on WIRED or rank tracks. The review contains festival programming and film coverage, not album commentary. Because the reviewer does not mention specific Basement tracks, there are no best tracks to highlight from this text.
Key Points
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No individual tracks from WIRED are discussed in the review, so no best song can be identified.
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The review's strength is festival programming detail; it does not evaluate Basement's album.
Cl
Critic's Take
The review contains no discussion of Basement or WIRED, and therefore offers no commentary on the best tracks on WIRED or any songs such as “WIRED” or “Time Waster” in the reviewer’s voice. Because the text focuses entirely on Wire and post‑rock history, there are no reviewer observations to identify the best songs on WIRED.
Key Points
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No specific tracks from Basement's WIRED are mentioned in the review text.
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The review's core strength is historical and contextual analysis of Wire and post‑rock, not album track appraisal for WIRED.
Key Points
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No specific tracks from WIRED are discussed, so no best song can be identified from this review.
Re
Critic's Take
The review contains no mention of Basement or WIRED nor any of its tracks, so there are no best songs on WIRED discussed here. Consequently it is impossible to say which are the best tracks on WIRED from this review. The text is entirely about the Rolling Stones and Exile On Main Street, not Basement, so no track-focused evaluation for WIRED can be drawn.
Key Points
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No specific tracks from WIRED are discussed, so no best song can be identified.
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The review's core strength is a detailed, archival account of the Stones' Exile On Main Street era, not commentary on WIRED.
Critic's Take
This review does not discuss specific songs on WIRED by Basement, so there is no critic-led case for the best songs on WIRED. The writer focuses on broader trends in the decade’s album culture and exemplary records, not on individual tracks such as “WIRED” or “Time Waster”.
Key Points
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No individual tracks from WIRED are discussed, so no best song can be identified from this review.
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The review’s core strength is a panoramic critique of the decade’s album culture rather than track-level evaluation.
Critic's Take
I cannot point to the best songs on WIRED because this review does not discuss any tracks from Basement's album. If you want a list of standout tracks from WIRED, please provide a review that actually mentions songs from that album.
Key Points
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No specific tracks from Basement's WIRED are discussed, so no best song can be identified.
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The review focuses on an event and a different artist's experimental performance rather than the album itself.
Critic's Take
The reviewer writes in a measured, somewhat sardonic register that never mentions specific songs from WIRED, so there is no direct verdict on best songs or best tracks on WIRED. The piece wanders across cultural institutions and genre prejudice with clipped, authoritative sentences and an ironic punch, rather than singling out Basement's “WIRED” or any other track for praise. Consequently, readers seeking the best tracks on WIRED will find this review unhelpful for song-by-song recommendations. The tone remains critical of institutional gatekeeping, not celebratory of individual tracks.
Key Points
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No specific track is discussed, so the review gives no basis to name a best song from the album.
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The review's core strength is its authoritative critique of institutional prejudice and gatekeeping, not musical analysis.
Critic's Take
I could not find any discussion of WIRED or its songs in this review text, so there are no best tracks to surface. Because the review describes unrelated releases, I cannot assess which are the best songs on WIRED without additional review content. Provide a review that mentions Basement's tracks and I will identify the best songs on WIRED.
Key Points
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No tracks from WIRED are discussed in the provided review text.
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The review text focuses on unrelated artists and cannot support evaluation of Basement's album.
Critic's Take
Basement return on WIRED feels like a pleasantly rusty reunion record that still lands some real highs. The reviewer singles out “The Way I Feel” as a highlight for balancing melody and grit, and praises opener “Time Waster” plus the title track “WIRED” for being rocking and noisy. There is approval for the mid-album shift - “Embrace” acts as a slower, spacier midpoint - and the downtempo single “Head Alight” is noted as a welcome vibe switch. Overall the tone is approving but measured: this did not "blow my tits off", yet it pleasantly surpassed expectations after an eight-year gap.
Key Points
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The best song, "The Way I Feel", is best because it balances melody and grit and showcases the strongest vocals.
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The album’s strengths are its restored raw, grungy energy and matured songwriting after an eight-year gap.