The Wants tap into digital decay and personal reckoning on new single ‘Data Tumor’
The Wants are back with a new cut of existential unease, and it’s as heavy as it is hypnotic.
‘Data Tumor’ is the second single from their upcoming sophomore album ‘Bastard,’ and it’s out this Wednesday, May 14.
Following the pulsating minimalism of ’87 Gas,’ ‘Data Tumor’ pushes further into the shadowy tension that defines The Wants’ world. Madison Velding-VanDam’s vocals drift like a warning signal through layers of vintage synth textures and an undercurrent of stark, motorik rhythm. And just when you think it’s all vibe, it detonates into a blistering guitar climax straight out of ‘Paranoid’-era Sabbath. That’s right—Tony Iommi’s ghost is in the machine.
The track acts as a bridge between their debut ‘Container’ and what’s coming next, a record that feels less like a sequel and more like a full reboot. ‘Bastard’ is shaping up to be a document of contradiction: sincere but cynical, electronic but sore, obsessed with connection but haunted by loss. It all started after Velding-VanDam’s father passed away and was discovered days later in a Michigan trailer surrounded by the wreckage of addiction and isolation. That grim tableau became the backdrop for the album, a kind of grief-logged excavation through memory, decay, and identity.
‘Data Tumor’ captures the sound of a world that’s always online but utterly disconnected. The Wants are dancing in the static and daring you to listen closely.
‘Bastard’ drops June 13 via STTT. You can preorder it here.
Headline photo: Madison Carroll
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