The press release I got for Wine Lips‘ sharp, shredding, and (at times) silly new album, TV Dinner, described it as “what it feels like to exist in 2026.” That’s accurate.
Opener “Cut It” cuts loose with bonkers drumming, roaring guitars, and Cameron Hilborn‘s lyrics about how hard it is to kick anythng nowadays from drugs to doomscrolling. “Projector” has drummer Aurora Evans punching back at people trying to use her as a “verbal punching bag.” “Trip to the Doctor” slaps hard with wicked guitars at people obsessed with holistic practices, physical health, and feeling they know more than people who’ve graduated medical school. The second half shredding in it is stunning.
I have a feeling that “Maybe You Can Give It a Shot” is not so much a “You can do it!” song as it is a “I really don’t care. You can do it.” song. It rocks either way. “Head on Backwards” is full of jagged riffs and Hives-like grooves. “Leech” goes after those who suck the life out of you one way or the other, and the guitar solo on it is like an adrenaline shot into your aorta.
I’m fairly certain “Giant Man Baby” is about a guy who wants to annex Canada (Wine Lips’ home country). “Thirst Trap” is about getting trapped by algorithms (“The nation’s going down because everybody’s brainwashed.”) and ending up down rabbit holes that have kept you from getting crap done all day. “Semi-Detached Furnished Home” fuels everyone’s rage on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border about the cost of every damn thing under the sun: Rent, groceries, gas, all of it. The only thing worth the cost is the price of TV Dinner.
Wine Lips get introspective on “If You Don’t Know” as they confront aging (“Been a long, long time since sixteen.”) and feeling like the world is racing away from you. It’s like a Kaiser Chiefs song if they cranked the fuzz and snarled a bit more. “My brain is melting!” yells Evans on “Fried V,” and you’ll feel the same when you hear it.
“Strip Club DJ” is a fun poke at people who think they’re living the high-life while they’re really just posers. The album ends with “Static on the Radio,” which almost becomes a Wall of Voodoo track if Billy Gibbons played guitar for them.
TV Dinner is everything you need: Tasty, hot, and loaded with weird stuff you can’t always identify. Gulp it down.
Keep your mind open.
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[Thanks to Chad at No Rules PR.]