Wino - Punctuated Equilibrium

All hail the riff. Wino’s unique style is like slowly distilled whiskey. Underneath the burning sensation that chokes the throat, one flavor that refuses to go to waste is the riff. His heavy sway began at an early age with The Obsessed. He professed a bold, yet accessible heaviness that continues to tickle ears. That most of the riffs on this album were born in the ’70s and ’80s underscores Wino’s classic touch.

The Woman in the Orange Pants
Silver Lining

Wino’s voice is smoked and glazed to perfection. Rumbling riffs attack the gut straight from the start. Fiery guitars and percussion akin to The Hidden Hand carry Wino’s potent singing. His voice takes a short break in “The Woman in the Orange Pants,” although only for a short while. The song was derived from the ’70s, when Wino’s mom, “the woman in the orange pants,” would inevitably catch Wino and friend John Reese lighting up a joint before devising the song in her basement.

Wino has always been about heavy music, something he said he knew he was bound for since birth. “Silver Lining” proves such devotion. It supplies the sexxxiest riff on Punctuated Equilibrium (Southern Lord, 2009). Slow, sweet, and tender — just the way Wino rolls on his ’60s Harley-Davidson FLs. This is how Wino poses on the booklet’s center spread, smiling faintly with hands spread wide on the handlebars. He’s come a long way. If you’ve forgotten about the riff, remind yourself and indulge. Don’t thank me, thank Wino.

Buy:
Amazon (MP3)
The End (CD)
Southern Lord (CD)