Ride With It: Tender Glue’s “Wasted” Is a Song That Thinks With You

Tender Glue have made something quietly extraordinary with “Wasted,” a moody, introspective track that creates space rather than filling it, inviting the listener to bring whatever they are carrying and sit with it for a while. The wall of guitars is rich and layered, rhythm parts grounding the song while swirling leads drift overhead, giving the whole thing a traveling, forward moving spirit that mirrors the song’s stunning music video, shot entirely from the perspective of someone riding a bicycle. The vocals are tender and emotional, never overreaching, landing every moment with a restraint that makes the feeling hit harder. There is something genuinely rare about a song that works equally well in gratitude or in sorrow, but “Wasted” pulls it off because it never tells you how to feel. It simply moves, and takes you with it. One of the most affecting songs you will hear this year.