Punctuated Equilibrium

Mr. Scott “Wino” Weinrich never stops. This guy has been playing stoner rock for so long that his first bands weren’t even retro, as they date back to ’77! This would likely explain why his vocals are for the most part pretty clean just a hint of a raw attack, and why the fuzz isn’t lathered on too harsh.

With other bands these days looking to push stoner rock somewhere, be it harder, faster, or slower, Wino takes his sweet time, and does what he wants when he wants to. It’s pretty clear that even the fast songs aren’t in any rush, but neither is he pushing himself to be slow and destructive. Everything is at a relaxed pace, and for the most part this album does what it can to take you back to the 70’s, though I wish it would go one step further with the production to go all the way. Sure the instruments are pretty clear, but Wino never quite sounds like he’s back in the good ol’ days when recorded with modern equipment, even though the music itself is spot on.

While the music itself does create the atmosphere of the 70’s, none of the songs go quite far enough with hooks or construction to really suck you in like a whirlpool. It’s too bad, as I’ve heard so much about Wino for so many years that when it came time for a solo album, I was expecting a record to become known as one of the decades best. Not quite…

Originally posted at www.waytooloud.com