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When you think Wheatus, you think ‘Teenage Dirtbag’, just as if you think shark, you think of John William’s iconic Jaws score. The difference is whilst both transcend through time you could probably name another score John William’s has worked on. This is a tragedy.

Since Dirtbag Wheatus have been on a journey, they’ve done away with their record label and are taking on the music industry alone. They’ve had two albums since leaving Sony, the re-release of ‘Hand Over Your Loved Ones’ aptly titled ‘Suck Fony’ and ‘Too Soon Monsoon’, both show two different spectrums of Wheatus’ talents.

‘Real Girl’ comes from the upcoming Lightning EP, part of a series of EP’s forming ‘Pop, Songs and Death’, totalling around forty-six new Wheatus tracks. It debuted on the bands official website to users who were able to solve a series of cryptic puzzles. Thankfully the track and accompanying video were worth the hunt.

The song is haunting, about the Wicked Witch of the West. It’s slow change of pace from previous tracks yet keeps that rough edge guitar that Wheatus are famous for. The squeaky voice of front man Brendan Brown provide the eerie vocals that will move you and echoing backing vocals create an atmosphere that draws you in. The style is indisputably Wheatus but this is a far step removed from their self-titled debut album.

The band have matured, you can see their growth in their previous albums, and whilst their style is the same the music is much more refined, a labour of love, a testament to Brown’s slightly neurotic and incredibly meticulous hard work. ‘Real Girl’ is the start of something much bigger, the song that will change perceptions and bring new fans to “that Teenage Dirtbag band”.