Written by: Paul Gleason

Morning coffee? Who needs it?

5-hour ENERGY? Why bother?

All you have to do is play Wet Socks’ Drips – the band’s high-octane, garage-punk manifesto of an LP – and you’ll have all the energy that you need to jump start your body, challenge your mind, and feel that the essence of rock and roll is in good hands.

These hands belong to a duo of musicians from Savannah, GA – vocalist, guitar virtuoso, and multi-instrumentalist Hunter Jayne and master drummer and percussionist John Zimmerman – that, as Wet Socks, have made one of the most spirited, relentless, and creative records you’ll hear this year.

Drips is the kind of record that – like Ramones’ first LP, something by The Sonics or Monks, or even MC5’s Kick Out the Jams – just doesn’t let up. From opener “Bandit Beware” to closer “Library Card,” Drips drips with a raw punk energy (Raw Power?) that makes the tunes pass by in a flash. It’s a lightening bolt that you’ll want to strike you over and over.

But Drips isn’t all retro; it’s also futurist. And Jayne and Zimmerman punctuate each and every track with surprising arrangements and innovative noise guitar that result in a record that’s unlike anything you’ve heard before.

“Bandit Beware” will overwhelm you as soon as you hit “play.” Jayne begins the track with a previously unimaginable blast of guitar noise and then starts up a chugging riff, which Zimmerman complements with some terrific drumming and percussion work. The two musicians establish a 50s’ vibe, but they’re not the kind of artists that are willing to settle in the past. The song ends with an unexpected change in tempo and arrangement that slows things down, closing out the track on a meditative, atmospheric, and contemporary note.

Throughout Drips, Jayne shows that he knows how to blend noise guitar with infectious riffs. He’s like a one man Thurston Moore-Lee Ranaldo, Lou Reed-Sterling Morrison, or Wayne Kramer-Sonic Smith. And songs like the anthemic “Midnight Owl” (with its sweet guitar fills) demonstrate this aspect of his playing, as does “No Money, No Honey,” which sounds like Johnny Cash and The Jesus and Mary Chain had a baby versed in rockabilly shuffle and feedback waves.

Jayne also has more subtle instances of guitar perfection on the record that make you understand just how good he is. Listen to “My Lights” and how its bad-ass riff changes course and tone as the song rocks on. Listen to the unexpected chord on which “Sick Boy” ends. In fact, the latter tune also shows off Jayne’s ability to contribute ambient keyboard textures.

“Sunken Road” is a surf song worthy of Dick Dale; but Jayne and Zimmerman make the sound new by including an invigorating noise break, and “Death Sox” is a veritable guitar odyssey, which allows Jayne to soar, crunch, and, basically, to teach you everything of which a guitar is capable in a 2:30 flash of virtuosity.

“Night Apart” – along with “Bandit Beware” – could be the best song on Drips. Jayne’s heavy riffs and Zimmerman’s vigorous drumming work in tandem to support Jayne’s soaring vocal melody. And the noise guitar solos that emerge from all the riffing elevate the song to the level of a classic.

Zimmerman’s best moment is on the title track. “Drips” has his most imaginative beats on the record – and that’s saying something because they’re on a record on which every song seemingly contains a fresh approach to drumming. They work perfectly with Jayne’s riffing and really come to the fore in the short breaks in which the tempo slows down, only to explode again into distorted guitar.

Put simply, Drips seamlessly blends tradition and innovation. It truly is retro futurist. It’s definitely one of the best records that you’ll hear all year and, perhaps, one of the best guitar records you’ll ever hear.