Black Wine

I have seen Black Wine a couple of times now and while I'm pretty sure I liked them in a couple opening slots over the past year, their set the other night at The Studio reminded me that I needed to spend a little more time with the Black Wine franchise. I picked up the record and am pleased to find that this trio does pretty well on record. Black Wine features Jeff from The Ergs! on guitar and vocals along with 2/3 of Hunchback. Miranda also sings. The band may be fairly new, but there is something about this record that sounds old. Not in a derivative sense, but few bands can lay claim to having a sound more than Black Wine. The music is steeped in the Pacific NW, with traces dating from The Sonics through the Fastbacks and Sub Pop/Pop Llama heydey. When this amalgamation catches fires, like on Broken Arm Bear, it will take a week to get the hook out of your head. The three-piece format keeps things economical and the band makes the most of the space. There is nothing to hide, so even when things get stripped down to a single guitar and Miranda vocal on Greengrove Road, Black Wine is just as compelling as the coffee it takes its name from.

Get the record from the good folk of Don Giovanni here. Black Wine can be found here.

R