By Trevor Myers
While it may be true that no one really has strong feelings toward the type of moss typically found in nature (according to the sentiments on the band’s Bandcamp page), a lot of people seem to have strong feelings toward the band named The Moss. At least according to the millions of plays and hundreds of thousands of monthly listeners the group has on Spotify.
The Moss is a band with all members operating out of the same apartment complex in Magna, Utah. Their latest project, Insomnia, first came together in September 2021 following late-night snacking and writing sessions in addition to a band member’s recent diagnosis of insomnia.
Insomnia sounds nostalgic even upon first listen. The title track is a killer opening; it was released as a single before the rest of Insomnia dropped in January 2023. As a whole, the record is a cohesive indie rock project that can be the perfect soundtrack to your late nights, whether that’s a late night solo dance party in your room or an open-window drive down the highway with friends.
There aren’t any songs that should be skipped on this project, and none even come close to putting listeners to sleep. I’ve played this EP for some friends, and we all seem to agree on one song being the most attention-grabbing — The Moss knew what they were doing by ending Insomnia with “Chaparral.” The reggae influences and tempo changes, combined with the band’s classic surf sound, effectively emulate the fluctuations of energy that come during the late hours of the evening. Ending with “Chaparral” might just make some listeners want to listen to the song over and over again until the next morning.
“Blink” was another single released before the rest of the project, and features some of the sickest guitar and best gravelly singing on the record. Some listeners may get so caught up in the music that the lyrics might sneak past them. But, if you take the time to listen, you’ll hear heartbreaking lines through the emotional rasp, like, “Hold me like it’s never gonna end” and “If I lose you I may never love again.”
I must admit, I am a sucker for guitar. I would love to hear more guitar solos from future work by The Moss; throw in more of the raspy, fry scream-adjacent singing and I am all for it. Of course, that may not be everyone’s cup of tea, and if The Moss decide they want to switch their sound to something calmer for future projects, that would be cool, too.
Clocking in at less than 14 minutes, Insomnia alone probably won’t keep you up all night. However, if you go down the rabbit hole to experience the rest of The Moss’s discography, you may very well find yourself staying up past your bedtime. With a combined 20 songs from two albums, in addition to a slew of singles and the Insomnia EP, there is no shortage of The Moss for people to love.
The band also announced an upcoming fall tour, complete with shows from coast to coast and performances at festivals; to buy tickets, visit the band’s website. Make sure to follow The Moss on Instagram. You can listen to “Chaparral” below!