It is clear Sacramento-based The Baddest Beams had an abundance to say with this track: the first beat unleashes a torrent of words, not relinquishing until the track ends. At times, I Wish My Life Was Different seems like several songs amalgamated into one, its frenzied guitar lines never settling into a comfortable groove.
I Wish My Life Was Different, although tinged with synthesizers and pop structuring, is ultimately a tale of loathing. The line “but maybe I just need someone to blame”, marks a very obvious transition – cue the melancholy synths and heavy reverb – of Mardsen’s contempt turning inwardly. He reconciles that the hatred levied on the unnamed object of his song is just a projection of his own self-hatred. The instrumentation is similarly filled with surprises and variation – whistling, beeps, and syncopation of the drum beats make the song interesting and intense.
Mardsen’s lyrics are delivered with a pained frankness. All of his lyrics are similarly simple and candid, but that does not mean they aren’t often profound. I found myself nodding along with some of his bitter sentiment (“I heard your favorite band. I think they’re lame / It’s the petty victories that get me through the day”). In a scene so saturated with ambiguity and false bravado, The Baddest Beams are refreshingly sincere.
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