Raise My Glass – single review

Today see’s WONK UNIT release their second single from the upcoming 2021 album “UNCLE DADDY” entitled “RAISE MY GLASS’.

“Raise My Glass” is a change of pace for the band, being their first ever track entirely written and sung by the only girl in the band; Vez. You would more traditionally find Vez playing keys in the outfit, but this time round she absolutely shines as the lead vocalist.

Vez admits that she used songwriting as a creative outlet during the first national lockdown and proactively used her time writing songs during what was an uncertain springtime.

After spending some time honing her songwriting skills, Vez showed band front man Alex a modest collection of her piano-driven pop song efforts. Upon hearing them, Alex felt an immediate connection to the candid lyrics and innocent melody of “Raise My Glass”, and found its awkward honesty to be thoroughly Wonk!

Alex took what Vez brought to him and added his own signature touch to the track, bringing in new writers from the ‘Wonk collective’ and in doing so, opened a whole new world of possibilities for the band to explore new creative avenues and diversify to their already eclectic sound.

“RAISE MY GLASS” is a song all about celebrating the passage of time and detachment from traumatic memories. For the accompanying video, the band brought a little New Years Eve party chaos to Alex’s Great Aunt Hilda’s perfectly frozen-in-time Victorian terrace. What it lacks in central heating it makes up for in original 60’s charm- and the band promised they cleaned up all the confetti!! It’s a perfect nostalgia trip in which Vez gets to not only showcase her multi talents but we’re also treated to some gorgeous wardrobe changes from her and some not so wholesome wardrobe choices from Alex!

It’s a catchy little tune and with lyrics like “makes me want to peel off my skin and every year that passes on, raise a glass to another one without you” is a realistic take on the very real emotions that are often felt over New Year when we’re all meant to be happy and jolly and full of optimism, painfully though, it’s all too often not the case for many. It’s a perfect punk pop ditty sticking two proverbial fingers up at what society considers normal and acceptable. In 2020, if we’ve learnt anything it’s that the “new normal” is whatever gets you through!

Listen to the new track and watch the official video for “Raise My Glass” here now 👇🏻

Massive kudos to WONK UNIT for doing it once again. For taking a very real and raw subject and turning it into a thing of musical brilliance. We’re personally loving the diversity of this new track and how it’s so different from what we’ve heard from the band previously. It proves that WONK UNIT are a band who can adapt and overcome situations to re-emerge as a new creative force with every new song.

“RAISE MY GLASS” will be released digitally via Plasterer Records on the 1st of January 2021, and will be available across all major download platforms from then.

We here at The Songbird can’t wait for the release of the album UNCLE DADDY later on in the year and to see what other delights WONK UNIT have in store for us and that’s our New Years Resolution.

Written by SALLY NEWMAN