Wolfmother is an Australian band of some local notoriety, having just released their first full-length album after releasing their 5-song EP and touring hard for quite a while. The album is called, imaginatively, Wolfmother. Whooo for self-titled albums. (Yes, I'm looking at you, And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead.)
The band consists of the following rag-tag members:
Andrew Stockdale, Guitars/Vocals. (He has a Gibson SG and a leather headband. LEGEND!)
Chris Ross, Bass/Keyboards. (Plays two instruments! Legend!)
Myles Heskett, Drums. Uhh... I have a friend named Myles?
Oh yeah. They all have sideburns. Considering the sideburn is the second most awesome form of facial hair ever, this alone should guarentee Wolfmother has your undying love and respect.
What? Musical analysis? Oh, yeah. Well, they're retro. Quite retro, in fact. Leather headbands and sideburns? Need I say more? They are often described as somewhat of a Black Sabbath/Led Zeppelin mix, but more happy (yes, more major chords). I can also spot a Doors influence in there too. Here's the track listings, people.
1: Colossal- A wonderful piece of Sabbath-y chugging that manages to rip-off just about every song in Paranoid without actually lifting a single riff. This is rather common of Wolfmother, in fact. Either way, it's quite dandy. My favourite track.
2: Woman- Okay, this time, they ripped off Roadhouse Blues from the Doors. Except the riff is done faster, and the E is in the second octave. But anyways, it's also a cracking song.
3: White Unicorn- Ehh... this one just seems to have too much Stairway-style lyircal silliness. Not a favourite.
We've been drinking on the wine
That we drank from the serpent's vine
4: Pyramid- Strange one, this. The riff is just too stop-start for me to really get into it, and it's not really too melodic.
5: Mind's Eye- Here's a cracker of a single. Lashings of retro keyboard (complete with solo! Woohoo for keyboard solos!) and some explosive chording on the chorus. Definitely a highlight.
6: The Joker and the Thief- A Joker and a bloody Thief? Who does he think he is, Bob Dylan? Either way, this song cracks along at a fair pace, without being too interesting.
As a sidenote, this album actually seems to be planned to have an a-side and a b-side. This is now side B, with their most imaginative (ie, not ripped off blatantly) songs.
7: Dimension- This one opens with a frankly less-than awesome "whooaaaww!" from Andy, then it's into more a-grade riffage throughout. Neato.
8: Where Eagles have been- This one rocks. Not only that, it also rolls and has a Jimmy Page style solo (where one of the sections is a complete rip from "Dazed and Confused"). Plenty of keyboard chording along in the background and neato lyrics. Another personal favourite of mine.
9: Apple Tree- The fact that the lyrics make no bloody sense whatsoever is obscured by how much plain, raw energy this song has. It sounds like they put a tape recorder in front of a screaming Marshall stack, then mixed it in their garage. And hey, they probably did. But it rawks.
10: Tales From The Forest Of Gnomes- What is this, a silly title competition? Either way, this song is probably the most goofy cut on the album, but the high-pitched chorus riff is splurgeworthy. Hell yeah.
11: Witchcraft- Hmmm... this song is my least favourite. Just isn't memorable enough to keep me listening past the first 10 seconds or so. Two monkey thumbs down.
12: Vagabond- The beginning of this song reminds me of Led Zeppelin's That's the way, not because Andrew Stockdale's playing on an acoustic guitar like some sort of golden god, but because of the general happy air, and the constant kick-drum beat. Either way, it's a dandy song, and a neat way to end an album.
Wolfmother delivered the first debut album I've gotten really excited about since... well, ever. (I generally only listen to music 8 years and older.) Great Aussie rockers that blend retro and modern just the way I like it.
With sideburns.