This is a debut album from a Los Angeles band Winks, released this spring. A set of energetic punk rock and confident grunge songs, “Finally Awake” looks like a good intro to spring and summer, but we now are listening to the album just right before winter time – and I hope this season will be fun too.
The band is formed by Victoria Acuña; and the project’s influences, as mentioned, are such bands as Moonpools & Caterpillars, The Eyeliners, Blink 182, Fugazi and others. The album, I guess, is somewhere in between the “riot grrrl” direction, with Hole and L7 as the inspo, and college punk rock, which could remind of Peach Kelli Pop, for example (who also comes from California). I also remembered another band with powerful vocals, called “Hater”. The tunes also have some “old music vibes” to it.
The cover, with candles, looks a bit like a birthday celebration, and with powerful and energetic rock music the album itself may sound like a celebration. Among the themes of the music, Victoria mentions “teenage angst”, as well as journey of various ups and downs: from losing someone to finding a new group of friends that is just exciting, or from sneaking out in the middle of the night to coming to understand who you are as a person — and feeling that it all, actually, feels like fun. The song “Altered State”, which also has a video clip, as Victoria told in one of the bands’ videos, is about a feeling that happens right before a big change comes to one’s life, and everything has to disappear before something new comes. Also, the song “No Corp” sounds like the most interesting piece to me.
I guess, the ideas of the album can be a good guide for younger people: even though there are some sad things in life, it’s always fun to move on, believe in oneself, stay confident and don’t forget to be with oneself – in a good way, of course. The music itself helps to dive deeper into the easy-going, cheerful and bright nature of creativity and harmony. I guess, the album will remind one about having fun and enjoying life on sunny summer days, just like its original region — Southern California.
Written by Natalia Es
