Wine Lips
Super Mega Ultra
Stomp Records [2024]
Album Overview: One listen to Wine Lips’ Super Mega Ultra and you’ll understand why this band once toured as openers for Frankie and the Witch Fingers in 2023. Formed in Toronto in 2015, Wine Lips exploded onto the scene with their self-titled debut Wine Lips and its follow-up, Stressor. It was then that they crafted the album that propelled them further, Mushroom Death Sex Bummer Party. Now, in 2024, Wine Lips aim to soar into the psychedelic stratosphere with their muscular, punky thrasher Super Mega Ultra.
Musical Style: Wine Lips favor a hard and fast approach, delivering a mostly unrelenting barrage of punkadelic blasts. However, the album also expands into kaleidoscopic flower-power territory and crunchy, laid-back jazz.
Evolution of Sound: Wine Lips have always maintained a psychedelic and punchy sound. What Super Mega Ultra expands on is a more dynamic feel. While their previous album included some lengthy tracks, Super Mega Ultra takes more liberties with its runtime, allowing for greater variety and exploration.
Artists with Similar Fire: Frankie and the Witch Fingers, The Stooges, Tweens, Hooded Fang, Meatbodies, ORB, and The Muckers come to mind when the band powers through their tight 33 minutes of rock.
Pivotal Tracks: “Killjoy” buzzes in with an intensity reminiscent of Tame Impala’s “Half Full Glass of Wine” and transitions into a muscular, heavy track akin to The Stooges’ “Search and Destroy,” finishing with what feels like a spacy tribute to The Cult. “Fried IV” – one of my favorites on the album – goes manic with a Hooded Fang energy that includes a doomy ORB-like breakdown followed by a solo that shears the guitar in two. “New Jazz” calls to mind King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard’s experimental albums with some very Frankie and the Witch Fingers-inspired guitar work near the end. “Six Pack” is a fun stunner that breaks up the album with killer Tweens energy. “Serotonin” is also a nice change of pace, transitioning from samba to flower power.
Lyrical Strength: The lyrical content isn’t the strongest part of the album, but that’s not Super Mega Ultra’s intent. The idea is goofy, beer-soaked, psychedelic fun. This is exactly what the band has achieved. Find yourself a six-pack, grab your nearest friend, and prepare for a rip-roaring headbang and a few air guitars thrown in for good measure!
WINE LIPS LINKS
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