This self-titled debut album is released on Hawaiian MICAH WOLF’s own label, Blockplane Records, and showcases his unique style of downbeat blues-steeped folk as heard in Maui.
Looping melodies are layered over the twelve-bar twang and WOLF’s near-falsetto delivery as a succession of false endings loop their way out of the opener ‘Burn Me’. This is followed up by the moody staccato of ‘Self-Esteem’, a celebration of mind’s eye imagery with a clarity that sets the narrative ringing with truth. The acoustic grind and subtle added percussion combine to make the track breathe as uplifting key-changes surge everything high above.
The double-bass brushes on drums shuffle showcase a winding labyrinth of tunes that hook you amidst a blinding burst of vocal dexterity, and acoustic arpeggios and licks surround the intensifying core like stars. ‘Pay No Mind’ is essentially a ticking ode to the relentless passing of time, and the complex structure revolves on its axis like the earth in a superb demonstration.
‘Plastics’ sinks into a lounging groove as gun-toting modern life is analysed from the studio to the street, with Wolf almost rapping the blues in pursuit. Government lies and gelignite explode, sink in and then out like the highs and lows of the Colombian marching powder as the plethora of percussion skank out the looping guitar riff within. The gentlest splashes of Harmonica widen this already 360-degree vision still further, and the sense is of never-ending tracks that have to be cut short.
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‘Counting Cracks’ is almost jazz, ‘cept for the bluesy acoustics as the rhymes ring out in a dissatisfied rant against the rotting wasted-out days as life’s cycle progresses. Mental is the prison here, as self-exclusion from society is mourned with bitter regret. The reverberated skip of the broken up drum pattern lays down a floor for the double-bass to space out the jam superbly.
Elsewhere, the heels are dug in firmly, as ‘Stand Tall’ refuses to budge, despite the passivity of the resistance. This roots ode to principles and priorities hums with inner strength, and the final organic offering, ‘Believe’ dedicates itself to the rhythm and warns against self-delusion, yet simultaneously celebrates belief and the powers of psychology.
This is an awesome cocktail of elements from the Venn-diagram crossovers of jazz, blues and soul. Out of these shaded areas come the fuel for this slow-burning and incisive collection of killer tunes. It’s a must-listen album from yet another supreme talent.
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