Do you remember getting the first Puddle Of Mudd album, Come Clean, and just listening to it track by track because it was so freaking awesome!? I do! This was the band's second studio album and major label debut. It released on Tuesday, August 28, 2001. I was 12 years old and had just started the 7th grade, yet my taste in music was excellent.
Fast forward to 2025 and Control comes back on the ol' streaming playlist randomly and then Drift and Die (of course) has to be played next!!
The video is gold. You've got backstage footage, the band jamming out, and longboards 🤙 Listen to the rifts... The simple, chugging guitar riff builds the perfect tension, like you’re teetering on the edge of something amazing.
Listen to the lyrics; my favorite being - "Unwanted, lived my life in shame. Who's to blame for my mistakes." like.. who doesn't feel that in their bones??
"Drift & Die" is a gritty, emotional grunge-rock anthem that grabs you with raw vocals and doesn’t let go — Wes Scantlin’s voice strains in all the right places 🥵 , echoing the frustration and numbness of feeling stuck in your own head.
This isn’t your typical radio single — it's moodier and more introspective than “Blurry” or “She Hates Me.” It leans into that post-grunge pain without apology, and somehow it still hits just as hard today.
For anyone who’s ever felt disconnected, misunderstood, or just tired, this song is a cathartic three minutes and fifty-eight seconds of realness.
Put it on, turn it up, and let it carry you for a bit. This week’s banger is THEE throwback worth revisiting.
