SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: WINE LIPS – SUPER MEGA ULTRA

WINE LIPS
SUPER MEGA ULTRA
STOMP RECORDS

Finally, after nearly three long years of waiting, Wine Lips has returned with their fourth album, Super Mega Ultra. The band has come a long way since their last album, Mushroom Death Sex Bummer Party, with success across the board, critically and commercially, and expectations higher than ever. It would seem like an impossible task to make an album better than the last one with all of that in focus. Thankfully, Super Mega Ultra revealed another strong release in their fantastic discography.

Super Mega Ultra is full of energy right from the start, with a relentless thump of powerful, crushing riffs on “Derailer”. The production here truly feels as though they paid close attention to every single detail, making each song seem almost handcrafted in terms of its meticulousness. Notably, as mentioned before, the opener “Derailer” stands as the testament for which all songs on here compete. Right from the beginning, this track explodes with a sense of fast energy that no other track from the band’s previous album, Mushroom Death Sex Bummer Party, even accomplished.

From consistent roaring and very energetic songs like “Derailer” to more laid-back ones like “New Jazz”, Super Mega Ultra usually provides a wide variety of musical landscapes while keeping true to their psychedelic garage punk rock. In a way, comparing Super Mega Ultra to its unique cover art is a great way to describe it. Bold and unique.

Though, despite all of the greatness Super Mega Ultra provides, it suffers from some specific flaws. To be specific, the lyrics and consistency of the songs. For instance, the songwriting of “Cash Man” and “Six Pack ” suffers from an extreme lack of creativity, feeling held down by uninspired bits, with the lyrics on both songs, upon examination and listening to, coming off as fluff rather than heightening the experience.

Even more, Super Mega Ultra suffers from some tedious and dull moments. There are many memorable and creative songs on this album, but, despite that, there are a couple tracks (“High On Your Own Supply” and “Fried IV”) that feel as though they accidentally fall prey to repetitiveness in tone. As a result, these minor parts of Super Mega Ultra feel quite repetitive and dull. Despite all of this, there is much to appreciate about each song on Super Mega Ultra, thanks to the masterful production on each track at every turn.

Super Mega Ultra is unquestionably a solid addition to Wine Lips’ career. It is an explosive album filled with mostly solid songs that are only heightened by strong production methods. Even if the lyrics are below par compared to the rest of the album, any rock fan should still give this album a spin solely for the incredible sounds and production this album makes.

To sum up, Super Mega Ultra isn’t flawless, with some issues regarding its lyrics and consistency, but, overall, it is truly an engrossing work from beginning to end because of its stunning sound and mesmerising infectious energy that is unforgettable.

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