This is the self-titled debut album by Rob Eelen (aka WILDERWOLVES) who you may know as the drummer with Strumpets or Angels Die Hard but if not then (like me) you'll come at this with fresh ears.
The press release tells us Rob wants to sound like Will Oldham only to me he isn't nearly depressed enough for that, though he is in the correct ballpark with opener [Slowly against] Some Beat kicking things off with a slow, well-played not-quite alt-country ballad and following it with the very unlikely named Disco, Dance. Unlikely in that no one will dance to this tune, though they may nod their heads while propping up the wall.
The Great Days is a downbeat meander of a song that passes by like wallpaper, leaving little impression unless you stop to listen to the lyric but the music is so boring it's hard to want to, even if the rewards are in the twisted words.
Danger Close is so barely-there, trying to be sepulchral and gentle strummed almost folk song that it too is somewhat boring. And therein lies is the problem I have with the album as a whole, as it sounds so meek and mild and rather bland so that any cool or interesting lyrics get missed as the greyness envelopes the listener.
Yes you might drink rum like water but this doesn't sound like drunken carousing, more like you've popped half a dozen valium and are nodding out trying to stay awake long enough to see a rising moon. While singing that they "march all day and clench their teeth" I had to wonder if it was at having to hear another wimpy tune trying very hard to be a rousing ballad but I'm not sure I care enough to find out.
|
To Deploy is an angry rant of an anti-war song (or is it an angry anti-love song?). I'm not sure but it's about the best thing on the album and sounds a lot like some of Chris Cacavas' solo material. This is the one song on the album that might convince me that Wilderwolves are worth listening too.
Then the album closes with yet another bland meh of a song that has at least got some cool drumming on it, if you can ignore the bleating vocals. This sort of downer folk-rock needs to be done a lot better or Wilderwolves won't manage to keep me interested.
Oh and what exactly is Wild or wilder about this album? It doesn't seem even remotely wild to me.
|
