Night Spins Woohoo

Drowning in southern swagger and big city hooks, I’ve been a loooooong time fan of Night Spins. The “nice guys, mean music” quartet made up of Josh Brocki (vocals, guitar), Manquillian Minniefee (guitar, vocals), Jesse Star (bass, vocals), and Ace Jernigan (drums, vocals) just put out Woohoo, a punchy new three song EP that scratches all the right spots.

The title track brings with it some Mika vibes complete with a sing along party chorus that would have Grace Kelly herself bopping her head. “Pretending it’s a holiday all thru the storm,” Brocki has a sweet vulnerability and real soul when he sings “spend my time playing make believe. All the clouds fall places I can’t reach. And all my friends are just the best. We’re hanging til we’re black and blue like we never left.”  It’s a song about sticking together alongside your friends and your heart through thick and thin, and the four Night Spins are about as true blue as they come.

“Cereal,” has Minniefee swapping lead vocals with Brocki on a simmering slower jam laid over an almost Jets to Brazilian guitar riff. It’s a slight departure and a step outside their usual sandbox, but it’s got a gentle earnestness in its sincerely. That, however contrasts with the far darker closer, “Big Black Book,” which feels far more sinister and nefarious in both lyric and tone. It lives in the same universe as previous songs like 2019 single “Pass the Salt,” and much like its predecessor, there’s remarkably controlled restraint in its execution, but when it punches, it really punches. 

Woohoo comes at you quick, but the melodies will certainly live in your brain for days long after. Having been playing together for quite a while shows in the level of detail and theatrics the quartet brings to their artistry, not to mention the impressive energy captured in their live performances. At the end of the day, these are three songs by four guys who know how to swing wildly between silence and mayhem.