Wednesday, March 26, 2014

New Crown- Wolfmother





The other day, I just happened to be scanning Bandcamp, as I do about once a week or so, and Wolfmother popped up in the discover tab. My first reaction was, "Oh yeah, they existed!". I feel like that might be the reaction of quite a few people. It's kind of weird, because in 2006, shortly after their debut was released, their songs were everywhere. You name it: movies, commercials, video games. Then pretty much as soon as they were here, they were gone. Internal problems led to a new lineup in 2009, culminating in the album Cosmic Egg, which kind of got a "meh" from me. Wolfmother is a band hearkening back to the golden age of riffs and stoners; the 1970s. Cosmic Egg may have been a little bit too much of the same for me.

Years passed, and I had heard nothing since. Unbeknownst to me, a third album had been recorded, re-recorded, the band broke up briefly, and these recordings were released as an Andrew Stockdale solo record (which by this point, with all the line-up changes, is what Wolfmother pretty much is anyway). It's kind of hard for me to imagine a band that was so big only a few years ago fading so fast. But luck had it that I caught this new album on Bandcamp, and I thought I'd drop a nostalgia bomb or two and listen in. If Wolfmother is known for something, it's no frills rock and staying consistent, even if it's line-up doesn't.

The first thing I noticed was the sound. I'm not sure if the album was mixed too loud, or since it was a lossy file format, but I went through a few headphone choices before the album didn't sound like a sludgy mess. Unless shoegaze is was Stockdale was going for, but for some reason I doubt it. I couldn't even imagine how terrible it must sound on headphones that are too bass heavy like Beats (but sorry to break it to you, but for $300, everything sounds terrible on those). Maybe if this album sees another release format this might be rectified. The second thing I noticed was that there was a little more deviation from the traditional Wolfmother sound. Highlights include Stockdale's best Robert Plant impression on 'Tall Ships' and (gasp) is that an acoustic guitar at the end of 'Tangerine Dream'? These were definitely the best moments on the album for me, because it sounded like after almost 10 years, maybe their sound was evolving maybe a little.

The rest of the album is more of the same, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It rocks ridiculously hard, and if you're a Wolfmother fan, or dig early Queens of the Stone Age, this is right up your alley. Great riffs, stomping rhythms, and solos, solos, and more solos. I might actually suggest the Andrew Stockdale solo album Keep Moving, released last year, which will henceforth be known as 'The Great Lost Wolfmother Album' (kidding). But honestly, I found it quite a bit better than New Crown, and definitely would have been a more triumphant return to the music scene. All in all, if you're a fan of classic rock or stoner rock, and want something that rocks while not reinventing the wheel, this one's for you. If you are looking for some radical new sounds, you might have to look elsewhere.

Out of a possible five stars, I give this:


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