Necktie Social conjures an explosively hypnotizing musical spell of blues and classic rock. Hailing from Knoxville, Tennessee, you can hear the hints of dirty Southern rock in their new EP, Red Wine Haze that define this iconic band as distinctively inspired by their love of Tennessee. This short EP packs a punch, condensing six vibrantly immersive songs while leaving a lasting experience.
The album starts off with “Devil’s Backbone” that kicks the album off cooly with a tantalizing riff. The song wastes no time exploding in a series of chords led by the defining tone of a guitar that wants you to know whose backbone you’re on. You are thrown in the shoes of a desperate man fighting his demons, “A man on the run, they cast their stones, born in sin, I guess that’s just the way it goes, oh, born in the Devil’s Backbone.” The resoundingly cascading wave of chords and strong vocals narrate a story you cannot escape: a story of regrets and desperate redemption. The bass and drums harmonize the melody together, fully enticing you in the desperate chase our doomed protagonist is on. The ending riff gives you a final electrifying buzz, gifting you an idea of what trip you’re on with this album.
Continuing the theme of returning to one’s lost soul, in “Lost my Soul in Georgia”, you listen to the story of a man searching for a way to hold on to a gone past. This song is a mix of classic rock with hints of soulful gospel vocals in the background, giving this song a truly melancholic Southern feeling. The song reveals Tennessee as a point of return, a point of redemption, “lost my soul in Georgia, found it up in Tennessee”. Narrating the weight of a ruined bond, it resonates as a heartrending ode to finding a way through letting go.
The album takes a turn to an excitingly wild tune about the chaotic pleasure of loving someone as unpredictable and exciting as life itself, with “Red Wine Haze”. The song starts off with the rhythm of cascading guitars, led by the vocals of a hopeless lover. Taking you on a ride with a fiery exciting love flame leading the chase, you are transported on the highway they’re on, almost a metaphor of their possible clash. The chords transport you to the 80s, big flowy hair in the wind, big dreams, hopeless love: you can hear their influences of classic rock, with Van Halen resounding throughout the song, culminating in an unforgettable riff at the end. The song is an ode to completely letting yourself fall in love and taking chances the same way the femme fatale leading the chase hits the pedal on a red wine haze, “Moon at her back, just chasing the sun, drivin’ down 40, just lookin for love, she’s an angel, but she loves the hell outta me.” You can almost feel the wind hitting your face and you can’t help but also hope she’ll keep you on this ride for the rest of your life.
The album ends on a slower and more serenely melancholic tone, with “Hello or Goodbye”, a song about the weight of letting go, “Out of sight, out of mind, is this hello or goodbye? If you’re leaving, you gotta let me go.” The song starts with a slow chord, leading to a succession of slower grungy chords. The vocals lead the song with a sense of acceptance that what was once a hopeful vision of the future, is turning into an impossibility. Time is exposed as something slipping through one’s fingers, the drums harmonizing with the vocals to let the words of sadness and acceptance shine. A soulful guitar riff towards the end of the song accompanied by the expressively fast drums drives in the hesitancy and restlessness of the inevitable goodbye.
Necktie Social delivers a fast-paced wild ride with their new EP, grabbing you by the hand and leading you on their highway chase to finding soul and an answer to life’s ugly surprises. With a mix of classic rock, country and soulful melodies, this EP is bound to be on repeat.
Sara Michael
