5/5 stars
Waves to watch: Ghosts In My Life, Lay Your Love Down, Alveron
Genre: Alternative
Goes great with: WALK THE MOON, Grouplove, Two Door Cinema Club, Passion Pit, The Naked and Famous, MGMT
Just coming off the American leg of their co-headline tour, British alternative band Wolf Gang dropped their much anticipated second album, Alveron (Cherrytree Records), on October 21st. The group’s debut album Suego Faults (Atlantic), written and recorded by lead man Max McElligott and legendary producer Dave Fridmann (of The Flaming Lips), released in 2011 prompting McElligott to add drummer Lasse Petersen, guitarist Gavin Slater, and bassist James Wood. In early 2013, the group signed with the American label Cherrytree Records. Their most recent album was produced by renowned producer, Flood (known for working with acts like U2 and Nine Inch Nails).
The transition of sounds from Suego Faults- with McElligott as a solo artist- to Alveron- produced as a full fledged group- is a graceful one. Alveron is an energized album laced with sincerity and complexity. This sophomore album showcases the qualities that make Wolf Gang one-of-a-kind: dreamy vocals, symphonic beats, and electronic melodies. The lyrics are genuine, narrative, and thoughtful- a definite strong suit for this group. Wolf Gang effortlessly combines alternative and classical influences to create the kind head bobbing tracks that you won’t mind getting stuck in your head.
The individual members of Wolf Gang are undoubtedly talented, but their real strength comes in the ways they compliment one another. This album demonstrates that quality well. The title track begins simply with McElligott on the mandolin (got to love a good mandolin riff) and Wood on the piano, but builds in intensity with the addition of Petersen on the drums and Slater slaying lead guitar. The vocals soar and the rhythm section is spot on. “Ghosts In My Life” is mesmerizing to listen to, putting the listener into a musical trance, with McElligott’s lead vocals and Slater’s hypnotic harmony.
“Lay Your Love Down”, the albums first single, is upbeat and pop-y with great lyrical nuggets like, “There was change, in the blacks of your eyes / From the gold to the greys of our skies”. If “Lay Your Love Down” is the question (asking “If I stay, would we fall? / Would we rise?”), then “Killing Kind” is the answer, proclaiming that “Yeah your love is the killing kind”. Wolf Gang slows it down a little bit with “Underneath The Night”, but still maintains the the sort of unadulterated energy that is characteristic of these guys. Alveron also includes the songs featured on the group’s first EP, Black River: the title track, Last Bayou, and Back to Life.
The first time I listen to an album, I usually struggle to get into it. I tend to dislike most of the tracks until I’ve heard them all a couple more times. Rarely do I find an album where I genuinely enjoy every song on it. I’m pleased to say that Alveron is one of those rarities for me. For their first full length album, Wolf Gang hit it out of the park and I can’t wait to see what’s to come.
xx. Sheridan
courtesy wolf-gang.co.uk
For more on Alveron and Wolf Gang, hear it from the guys themselves.
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