Wolf People - Fain

Wolf People

Fain

(May 8, 2013)

Jagjaguwar 

Grade: C+

Wolf People are painfully aware of the fact that there are simply too many bands called “wolf” something, and have stated time and time again how much they dislike their moniker. To be fair, the group settled on their name just before a slew of would be “wolf” bands began to crop up back in 2010 when amature guitarists/old record enthusaist, Jack Sharp, was encouraged to name the crop of local English musicians he decided to tour with in support of the album, Steeple. It just so happened that they they couldn’t think of anything better than a reference to a children's book only a handful of people were aware of on such short notice.                    

But once you move past the uninspired name, Wolf People are a quaint 4-piece English rock band that sound like a quaint 4-piece English rock band from another decade; the late 60’s to be precise. Folk rock and blues-infused rock n’ roll influences run abound all over their sound, with just a touch of jam band sensibilities and improvisation sprinkled in for good measure. It all sounds very raw, and organic; from the crashing sounds of tape recorded drums to the fuzzy guitar riffs, and melodic noodling that wouldn’t be out of place at a Renaissance Fair. Jack Sharp’s candlelight-invoking croone, harmonies just right with the music to tie the whole thing together and saves Wolf People from sounding like just another band embracing a “retro” gimmick.

    

         The passion’s certainly there and the musicality is impressive. Wolf People subtle weave a mood on Fain that works very well on the first few tracks. “Empty Vessels”, starts with a soft, melodic ascension before bringing in the heavy bass and Richie Blackmore’ esque shredding. And the eerie, minimalistic plucking on "Returns” subtly swells into a thundering jam session, complete with chanting from the heavens.

   

         But its when the lads get too excitable in their own melodies that Fain reveals its greatest weakness; each track feels like individual song ideas thrown in haphazardly together. When it works it’s great at mood setting, taking you from crashing highs to moody, fireside lows. But when it doesn’t, songs feel like they drag on far too long with no real direction thanks to too many smaller song pieces, Frankensteined together. “When The Fire Is Dead” , “Athol” , and the colossal road to nowhere “Thief”, all make repeated listens to this album a chore unless you’re deeply entrenched in a practically inspired D&D session.

         Fain is a good album in need of some editing, or at the very least, some reigning in of Wolf People’s indulgences. Their love affair for 60’s English rock and folk leads to them showcasing some of its best elements (creative, guitar driven improvisations) while simultaneously indulging in it’s worst (self gratifying excess). 


Recommended Tracks: "Empty Vessels" , "Returns" 

Futurebirds - Baba Yaga

NOTE: After something of a hiatus that comes form attempting to juggle school and two jobs (one that doesn't pay because family, and the other pays horribly. Word to the wise. Delivery driving is a perfectly honest way to make money just don't expect a lot of it) I have finally gotten the downtime to write to my little hearts content. Much love to anybody who's been following this blog! And now without further ado, some local lads (local to me - Georgia) who could use some love.

 Futurebirds

Baba Yaga

(Fat Possum)

April 51th, 2013 

Grade: B-

     I’ll just cut right to the chase. How you feel about this album rests entirely on how you feel about jam bands. Do you love the idea of long musical improvisations with multiple instruments,hazy vocals, and an ambient wall of sound, all held down the dulcet tones of a whining pedal steel guitar? Congratulations; this album was made for you and may be the best you're likely to find in the genre. Did reading all of that just fill you with dread? Not to worry, Futurebirds haven’t left you out. There are still some great songs on here, and the band finds new ways to impress with their increasingly complex arrangements. Just be warned; you’re going to want to listen to those arrangements in small dosages because unless you're predisposed to the idea of swaying to music barefoot in an open field, the line between “beautiful, ambient folk” and “snooze button” is a very fine one on Baba Yaga.

    Musically, the Athens outfit haven’t changed much since their promising debut, Hampton’s Lullaby, back in 2010. And this very much a good thing. Futurebirds bring back that enticing mix of swirling, ambient melodies, sprinkled in with southern fried sensibilities to create a truly memorable experience on each track. If you could compare their sound to anything it would be early My Morning Jacket, or perhaps a less drug fuelled Grateful Dead, and even those comparisons feel hollow. While their early albums were simply collections of individual songs, this one finds the band in their element; channeling all their combined, creative energies for a lengthy, experimental jam session. Each song blends into the next almost seamlessly, and for all the activity that’s happening in every track, it never sounds cacophonous; the fuzzy lo-fi buzz in “Serial Bowls”, harmonize just fine with the bluesy, slide guitar on “American Cowboy”. On their frantic two year recording process for Baba Yaga, the band had stated that for their third LP, they wanted to do their best to capture the feel of a intimate live show. And at that they’ve succeeded.

    The downside to this is that the album as a whole feels about twenty minutes too long. A lot of otherwise great ideas have their fire sucked out of them by lingering well past the point of being interesting. The vocals and instruments mix together in a hazy summer swell that can become quite monotonous if you’re not accustomed to that sort of thing. There are a few songs that manage not to wear out their welcome by subtly changing things up. “Dig” toys around with several melodies, going from a crooning folk ballad, to simmering riff rocker, before mellowing out again. And “Strangers” is one of the most stripped down songs present on the album, serving as a nice contrast to the ambient, atmospheric drone that dominates everywhere else.

    That’s not to besmirch the Futurebird’s unique sound. They very well might be one of the most unique sounding jam bands out there, not neatly fitting into any one category; preferring instead to straddle the line between alternative country, lo-fi rock, and folk. On Baba Yaga they simply continue that trend and take it outside. At times, it feels a little much and a bit overwhelming. But the Futurebirds couldn’t sound more at home.

Recomended Tracks: "Serial Bowels" , "Dig" , "American Cowboy"