5 out of 5

Label: Polyvinyl

Producer: Joe Haege

Yeah, So I’m all about Joe Haege, can’t hide that.  The 31 Knots frontman is, to me, the best lyricist around, smart and fucked up and willing to get angry or sarcastic when appropriate.  Having seen the group live a few times, I also dig that 31 Knots is not a solo outfit – when the cast rotated, the sound shifted a bit, and from album to album it’s apparent that there’s a groove they work in together.

When an artist from a group works on a side project or, lo, a solo project, sometimes it exposes what’s really going on – like if all the projects sound exactly the same then, uh, I guess the band doesn’t matter.  Or maybe hey, look, all of the bandmates are “guests” on the solo album, playing the same roles.  So what does it mean??  But beyond some general structural similarities, Joe Haege’s various groups all sound unique, depending on his role as partner, or background player, or, in the case of Vin Blanc, the one-man band.  What I really dig here is that Vin Blanc SOUNDS like a solo project – it’s very electronic, apparently assembled while on tour, and has the feel of just one man’s hands at the controls.  Also, as the last 31 Knots album Trump Harm was pretty yelly for the band, Vin Blanc is a nice change, Haege calmed down a bit.  Again, there’s no mistaking that specific 31 Knots sound here, but none of these tracks belong on a Knots album, nor do Knots tracks belong here.

Musically this has the sort of electronic, beaty vibe of Postal Service, but factor in Joe’s less melodic structure and off-kilter lyrics and you’ll have a foundation for the sound.  But though Vin Blanc could be seen as snippets assembled between moments, care was taken to flesh this out fully into something very meaty, and very real.  Listen on headphones, and give it a couple playthroughs to wear on you.  Chances are you’ll have some of these haunting tunes stuck in your head.