Following on from 2022’s Totally… the desert rock legends Stöner return with a five-track EP which combines some of the band’s trademark style. It’s an eclectic mix of sounds, with psychedelic tripping, desert punk and some low end swagger all wrapped up in an enjoyable 26 minutes which should please fans.
Stöner comprises Brant Bjork (founding member of Kyuss, ex-Fu Manchu), Nick Oliveri (Mondo Generator, ex-Kyuss and Queens of the Stone Age) and Ryan Güt (Brant Björk’s drummer). Boogie to Baja also features appearances from Mario Lalli (Fatso Jetson, ex-Yawning Man) and Greg Hetson (Circle Jerks, ex-Bad Religion).
It opens with “Stöner Theme (Baja Version), a short and trippy instrumental that draws deep on their appreciation of everything seventies. Things get a bit funky next with the bouncing beat of “City Kids” which still retains a glorious retro sound. The band make such swaggering songs sound easy, and it pops along with some harmonies that wouldn’t be out of place on a Blue Öyster Cult album. It’s the sum of the parts that works here, Oliveri’s punchy bass, the flair of Güt’s drumming and Bjork’s fuzzy guitar work all symbiotic.
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It’s an EP that makes you tap the foot, whether it’s to the lengthy ramble of “Night Tripper vs No Brainer” or the explosive “It Ain’t Free”. And then we get the majestic stoner workout of the title track. Ten-minutes in length, it sees Stöner throw away the rule book and drop into one meaty, groove-induced workout that simply rocks. You don’t need much else, apart from the sun and a cold one, (and maybe a big doob). It’s a track made for road trips, BBQs and chilled evenings.
A short burst of Stöner is better than no Stöner. Having witnessed their glory last time round, one can only hope that we’ll get the trio back over here soon. It’ll be some trip!
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Boogie to Baja is out on February 24th
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Stöner: official | facebook | instagram | spotify
