I love an EP. Honestly, I might love an EP more than I love an album. There’s something masterful about the ability to convey yourself, your message, and your sound in only a few tracks. When done well, you come out of an EP feeling intimately acquainted with an artist– and Necktie Social’s “Red Wine Haze” is no exception. Their vivid, recurring imagery and country and classic rock influences make for a perfect story and rewarding playthrough.
What stands out about “Red Wine Haze” is undeniably its strong sense of place. This is reminiscent in topic and quality of writing to Noah Kahan’s chart-topping 2022 album “Stick Season,” Necktie Social is undeniably country. Each track brings listeners constantly deeper into the band’s world, developing a setting as though they were authoring a novel. First track “Devil’s Backbone” throws us immediately into this, describing how home has shaped their behavior– good and bad. “Lost My Soul in Georgia” plays off of this perfectly, as singer Dusty Owens croons about wishing to outrun his own past. He takes us to California and finds little, loses himself in Georgia, and finds love in Tennessee. “I’m losing the feeling and it feels so wrong / Guess you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone,” he sings with what can only be inferred as a double meaning: lost direction both romantically and physically. This wandering is accompanied by an illustrative guitar solo.
Titular track “Red Wine Haze” switches gears just a bit to tackle romance more directly. Still, this track follows its predecessors well, with recurring imagery of losing one’s soul, describing someone who “loves the hell out of me.” In fact, this gospel-inspired imagery is prevalent throughout the album in an impressively genuine way. It never feels forced or cliche, but rather cultural– much like it would be down south, thrown casually into conversation and comparison. “Walk On Water” is perhaps an obvious example of this, opening triumphantly and once again playing with the dichotomy that exists in any long-inhabited space and the complicated feelings that reside within it alongside you: “I’m living through Heaven but walking through Hell.” “Till The Knife Drops” turns down the lyrical intensity just a bit. Still, this upbeat track is not short on vivacity: while listening, I could picture the music video. There was definitely billiards there. And a truck. Necktie Social’s lyricism is tight, and certainly the standout facet of the album.
Final track “Hello or Goodbye” serves as a slow finish, reminiscent in content to Noah Kahan once more, specifically his track “We’ll All Be Here Forever.” This is a natural end to the album– I can see the credits rolling in the distance. “If you’re leaving, you gotta let me know,” sings Owens, “I’m tired of running in case you didn’t know.” Necktie Social knows exactly where they are and where they belong, at least for the time being. The only question is if you choose to stay with them– and I know I’m excited to.
Riley Ferver
