WIBG’s New Album Will Satisfy Anyone with an Insatiable Thirst for Psych Punk

But the majority of the record is mired in a sameness that won’t do much to excite anyone who’s already tired of this type of thing.

WIBG
By Pete Cottell

WIBG, Winnie & the Nihilist (EXAG)

[GARAGE RAWK] Between a pair of albums from Thee Oh Sees and a staggering five full-lengths from King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, 2017 was the year the floodgate finally burst for psych punk. This won't stop someone with an insatiable thirst for supercharged garage rock from enjoying Winnie & the Nihilist, the latest from WIBG (formerly known as Wooden Indian Burial Ground). Winnie bursts to life with an eight-minute title track that weaves frantically between krautrock, freaked-out psych and mellow surf pop. The end product resembles Wolf Parade's Spencer Krug steering the group through a maze of Dungen and Wooden Shjips send-ups. Instead of drifting further into space, "Sunshine" hits the gas and careens toward the beach; if you can forgive the uncanny resemblance to Devo's "Uncontrollable Urge," it's a strong contender for a new genre classic. Aside from "Sunshine" and the cover of Dead Moon's "Dead Moon Night"—transformed here into a spiraling jam track—the majority of the record is mired in a sameness that won't do much to excite anyone who's already tired of this type of thing. But the songwriting is solid, and WIBG plays with reckless conviction, so you can't fault them for throwing another piece of quality work on top of the heap.

SEE IT: WIBG plays Spare Room, 4830 NE 42nd Ave., with Surfs Drugs and Penny Mart, on Thursday, Feb. 22. 8 pm. $8. 21+.

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