Wolfmother

Last year, downloaded a free song of the week off iTunes (which by the way, used to offer really good stuff...now it's all crap) by a new band that had been making big waves in the press. The song was "Dimension" by the band Wolfmother. I listened, and the rumors were true--the band sounded an awful lot like Led Zeppelin. For whatever reason, I never followed up on the band. The song was good, I listened to it a few times (played it for Leah) and forgot about it.

Flash forward last month, Guitar Hero II came out on XBOX 360 and became my world. That's right, MY ENTIRE FUCKING WORLD. Those of you who know me, know I likes me a little rock 'N roll. I bought a guitar a few years back, found out it was hard...and needless to say never got past the 12-Bar Blues. Anyway, the game offers us posers a really good simulation of rockin' out. The standout track in the game, is hands down "Woman" by Wolfmother. The song is a brilliant, 2 minute and 56 second kick to the groin. It rocks, so much so that Activision uses the song in the commercial for the game. Fantastic guitar riff, throbbing drums...howling vocals. This is the stuff I live for. Needless to say, this renewed my interest in the band. So Leah bought the band's debut on Amazon (used, for cheap).

WOLFMOTHER is not a perfect album.

WOLFMOTHER is not the most original record.

WOLFMOTHER will not save your soul.

But WOLFMOTHER will blow you away for about an hour. Isn't that all there is to good rock? The band has a very 1970's quality, one that goes beyond the Zep influence. True, no other band has as many fingerprints on the band's sound...but if you listen closely you can hear a bunch more '70s rockers shaping Wolfmother's sound: T-Rex, AC-DC, Jethro Tull, hell even a little Badfinger.

The band hails for Australia, where I guess it's still okay to rock. The album opens with a primal scream that preludes "Dimension." The song has a Black Sabbath-ish/chuggy guitar riff that could cut through steel. The vocals are all Robert Plant, so much so that it's almost a little embarrassing. Though the band's lyrics are pretty simple, they get points for referencing Hendrix ("Purple Haze is in the sky.."). Nice. Then the album shifts to the ass-kicker "Woman," which I can't say enough about.

From there the album unfurls into a strange hodgepodge:

"Where Eagles Dare" sounds very Badfinger-ish. It's a slower number, one that sounds like a Jet Ballad. It picks up a little, but for me, is the weakest track on the record. "Apple Tree" is a brilliant song, that sounds like it could be from a long lost White Stripes album. That's a good thing. Very garage rock. Other album highlights include "Joker & The Thief" and "Tales." The latter being another Badfinger/Jet-type '60s Britpop number. The former, well the former is probably my current favorite track on the whole damn thing. Strange I know, because I've been gushing so much about "Woman" but "Joker & The Thief" is more complex musically. The opening guitar is BLISTERING! Why this one wasn't picked up for the Guitar Hero game is beyond me (and it was a single in the UK, so it's not that it's not as well known).

Like the '70s bands they obviously love so much, Wolfmother hits hard. I can see how this might not appeal to lots of people. It's too hard to be considered radio-friendly, however, it's too old school to be appreciated by today's Hard Rock fans. For someone like me, a BIG fan of classic rock, WOLFMOTHER is a great reminder of the old days of rock. If you like "classic" bands (there were heavy) you owe it to yourself to check out these Aussies. Gamers who've fallen in love with "Woman" should go on iTUNES and listen to a few song samples before picking this one up, though. Compared to the metal bands featured in Guitar Hero II, Wolfmother isn't as heavy. They're just not that kind of band. Wolfmother is very much a guitarist's(or "guitar head") band. They have an awesome sound, and they musicianship is a notch above the typical rock band. They don't "noodle" like a Steve Vai, but they do know there way around a fret board.

Once again, I'm left to wonder how to score this record. On one hand, it's a brilliant record. It's visceral and loud. On the other, as stepped in classic rock as I am, I can see how the band isn't really very original. That old debate continues: how important is originality? True, the band doesn't reinvent the wheel, they do roll it along rather nicely. That said:

Jason gives WOLFMOTHER a "B-"