IN REVIEW: Wolfmother - "New Crown"

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Andrew Stockdale is no stranger to surprising people; about a year ago, a rough version of his debut solo record Keep Moving was posted to Soundcloud without warning (under the Wolfmother name, although he would announce its release as a solo album about two weeks later). So another Wolfmother album appearing suddenly isn't altogether shocking.

Nevertheless, here we have it; New Crown, with a cover that seems to confirm it as the third proper Wolfmother album we almost got in 2013, streaming in all its ragged glory at the group's Bandcamp site. Listening through the first time, there's an overwhelming sense of rawness; most of these songs sound like demos, which leads me to believe that there's a more polished version of this record in the making.

That said, album opener (and probable first single) How Many Times is the most finished sounding song here; it has the crispest mix of the ten tracks, and is the only one that hearkens back to previous Wolfmother successes. In essence, it's a leaner, meaner Woman. Whether or not that's for better or for worse depends on how well that song has aged for you.

The rest of the record shows a great deal of potential, with plenty of meaty riffs and hearty grooves that equally recall Zeppelin and Sabbath. Heavy Weight and the title track make for a terrifically potent one-two punch. And Feelings is straight up scuzzy punk, complete with the opening 1-2-3-4. There's also the sexed-up hip shaker She Got It, which sounds like a White Stripes/Black Keys/Queens of the Stone Age hybrid with a shovelful of dirt thrown on top of it. It's also a damn good time, which the hand claps only reinforce.

The "problem" with New Crown is with its uneven production, although if this proves to be mostly demos for an upcoming "real" album that's moot. I assume that's the case, since I can't fathom a band actually releasing such an unfinished sounding mix and calling it a proper studio album. So, in the interest of fairness, let's wait for its official, fully mastered release, then add two points to my rating. Deal?

March 23, 2014 • Self released
Highlights How Many Times • Heavy Weight • New Crown

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