What’s your favourite bottle of cheap wine? Mine’s definitely a rose, and I’ve always gone for The Straw Hat, though I am partial to a couple of Aldi’s, these days. Gone are the days of drinking Echo Falls Summer Berries on park benches on Friday nights, that’s for sure.
Cheap Wine is the latest single from the tireless Stoke-on-Trent trio, Lucid Waters, which delves into the weight of problems that accompany youth and naivety.
Formed during the pandemic, Lucid Waters quickly carved out their distinctive sound, characterised by inventive and politically driven lyrics intertwined with jarring perspectives on the general anxieties of modern-day existence.
Comprising bassist Owen Davies from Manchester, guitarist/vocalist Alec Playford and drummer/vocalist Joshua Goodwin, both from Stoke, the trio has already released Are You Talkin’ To Me? and That’s Life, offering a flavour of their aggressive bass-driven tracks and distorted guitar tones.
But in Cheap Wine, the trio take a slightly different approach as they continue to flex their musical prowess and showcase their versatility as a band. The track offers a reflective perspective on the inescapable social pressure surrounding drinking and substances through a combination of synth-driven soundscapes and melodic guitars.
Mellow yet contemplative, it embraces unspoken personal experiences of growing up, one which the band describe as an ‘arsonist’s lullaby’.
Jacob Swetmore
Opening with an 80s synth, the single captures a certain essence reminiscent of bands like Joy Division or Pink Floyd, before Josh’s deep vocals and narrative lyrics command a listening ear as he navigates the story with honesty and vulnerability.
Dizzying and hypnotic, Lucid Waters conjure that feeling of being 15 again, having drank a bottle of vino that your mate’s older sister got from Bargain Booze.
As Cheap Wine unfolds, the track picks up pace with melodic and distorted guitar tones underpinned by a solid bass foundation and dynamic drumming, which is where 00s/10s influences like The Vaccines are drawn.
Between introspective lyrics and driving energy, the reflective and melancholic atmosphere of Cheap Wine lingers, making for a cathartic listening experience that both captures the essence of youthful struggles and the allure of escapism through their distinctive sound.
So twist off the cap on that £4 rose and have a listen to Cheap Wine by Lucid Waters here on Spotify:
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