Releasing their debut album Who Cares What The Laser Says? on this very date, and winning my heart in the process by actually punctuating their titles properly, White Wine have proved they are a formidable force to be reckoned with. It’s not just about the correct use of grammar, though, for the seething ferocity that bubbles just below the surface of tracks like ‘Where’s My Line?‘ is at once both compulsive and unsettling. Sounding a little like a seriously pissed off Brandon Flowers over a booming rhythm section and shimmering keys until its Eels-like interlude at the song’s midpoint, frontman Joe Haege (Menomena, 31knots, Tu Fawning, The Dodos) spits and rants lines like “Let’s go and get this over with!” with such passion that you feel compelled to go along with him, even though you’re not entirely sure what he’s going on about. “Rattle, rattle, thunder, clatter, boom boom/That’s the tumbling of the lamps,” it sounds like he is singing at one point though I’m not convinced I actually heard that right if I’m honest. And if I did, I’m none the wiser.
For a band who were intended to be a mere side project, White Wine seem to have evolved into something twice as essential as Haege’s erstwhile endeavours (an impressive feat in itself), a thrilling, vigorous cacophony of noise perfectly encapsulated by today’s Track Of The Day.
Who Cares What The Laser Says? is released on 25th March 2016 through This Charming Man Records
