I am quite easily enraptured by artists or their music when their names and project names stand out to me. This characteristic is similar to the judging or liking a book because of how pretty its cover is. The name Wine Pride rendered me curious but even more, the title ‘Lost Years’ filled me with a sense of longing and yearning. This title alone prompted me to enter the world of Wine Pride and the art that they make. The rock genre is already comprised of many individual unique aspects found in artists and their music that make being eccentric a prerequisite to being a part of the genre. But for me, Wine Pride exceeds the standards. The four-member North Carolina band quartet released their Lost Years EP, a project consisting of five songs coming in at 17 minutes and made quite the impression on me on the first listen.
The first time I heard the melodies of the first track “Joy Ride” I felt I had been transported back in time to experience memories that were not my own. In fact, I visualised the scenes of the film ‘Mid 90s’ which is an ode to that period in history. Music has always been appreciated for its ability to transcend listeners’ experience and make them travel with only their music coming from their speakers and throughout this EP, this band provides a soundtrack for looking back fondly on whenever and whatever the individual’s old times are. Similarly, Wine Pride describes their music as nostalgic, and a tad melancholic and their discography never fails to match this description. Additionally, Joy Ride is tooth achingly romantic, like thinking of a past love and honouring the sweet memories once enjoyed and shared.
“SunShower” however takes a turn and explores loss and melancholy with the lyrics, “I can feel life streaming by/ my sun shower good night,” and delves into how the life in our eyes disappears from the everyday mundanity of life. Equal to growing up, the freedom and brilliance of the days in our childhood slowly fades as adulthood holds us hostage to a rigidness required for stability. SunShower doesn’t sound like the musicians are lamenting or calling this type of living or rite of passage, instead the song rings as regretful of the immutable fact that growing older means getting further away from the sunny years.
I however do feel conflicted with the “12:01 AM” and “If I Knew” because it starts to sound and feel similar to “12:01 AM” . I am not completely dismayed by this, but I wonder if it is because the album has a clear theme, a story that is happening coherently at different point or whether the EP becomes too repetitive. I don’t hate this at all though and it doesn’t dampen my feelings because this track builds up beautifully and the chorus reflect the feelings of realising the truth or ramifications of a situation “If I knew you were afraid/ I would have started to run away from my mistakes.” “If I Knew” is an enjoyable classic rock track that has a far simpler message and keeps surging and differs from “12:01 AM” that just seems to get lost within itself.
The titular track “Lost Years” simultaneously wraps up and break away from the project but in a complimentary and reflective way. It connects itself with the previous songs in a similar fashion theme of reminiscing in the EP but instead of accepting the good old days are gone. The lead singer makes a bold choice to find that happiness once again. Protesting the mechanisms of life that suck the life out of us and makes a claim to regain the lost years.
This EP is a scenic, hazy and transcendent project that leaves you feeling warm inside despite the heaviness of the ideas and messages about loss making it well balanced. These messages are also largely discernible and digestible for listeners.
I look forward to hearing more from this band and seeing the new paths they take with their lyricism and sound.
Written by Nthatile Mavuso