Reviews

Album review: Winona Fighter – My Apologies To The Chef

Nashville alt.punk trio Winona Fighter assert themselves right out of the gates with brilliant debut album.

Album review: Winona Fighter – My Apologies To The Chef
Words:
Mischa Pearlman

There are too many bands out there with punny names. What was at a first fairly amusing trend – perhaps no better executed than by influential indie rockers Camper Van Beethoven in the 1980s – has become something of a tired trope. And yet, as Bob Vylan and Japandroids ably demonstrate, you also shouldn’t write off someone’s music because of a gimmicky moniker.

Though their name is better than most, Winona Fighter – vocalist Chloe ‘Coco’ Kinnon, lead guitarist Dan Fuson and bassist/producer Austin Luther – are another band who prove that point. They formed a good few years ago and emerged in 2022 with their debut EP, Father Figure. Its spiky, energetic punk – coupled with their electrifying live performances – has seen the band develop a devoted following. My Apologies To The Chef should increase it significantly.

It kicks off with the zesty JUMPERCABLES, a song that immediately conveys the band’s ability to craft their deliciously catchy power-pop-meets-punk hybrid sound. With an opening riff that’s somewhat reminiscent of Lit’s My Own Worst Enemy, there’s a definite ’90s aesthetic, but it’s soon swept away by the riotous venom of You Look Like A Drunk Phoebe Bridgers. Not only does it have one of the best titles you’ll encounter this year, but its Paramore-meets-Olivia Rodrigo energy is sheer pop-punk perfection.

Alongside Subaru and Wlbrn St Tvrn, it’s one of three songs here that were originally on Father Figure and were re-recorded for this album. It’s easy to hear why – all three are spectacular, and it would be a real shame if they weren’t included. But the newer songs are just as great, especially the breakneck ferocity of HAMMS IN A GLASS, the uptempo melancholy of Johnny’s Dead and I’M IN THE MARKET TO PLEASE NO ONE, a powerful song that, beyond its raucous catchy melody, brings light to the dark reality of relationship abuse.

It all adds up to make an incredible album that mixes the personal with the political, and which turns trauma, anxiety and mental health troubles into something both fun and cathartic to sing (or shout) along to. Make no mistake: Winona Fighter are a band we’re going to be hearing a lot more from in the future. Absolutely no apologies are necessary – not even for the band name.

Verdict: 4/5

For fans of: Paramore, Press Club, Knuckle Puck

My Apologies To The Chef is released on February 14 via Rise

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