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WolfmotherWolfmother Modular/UMA What a stunner of a debut. 'Wolfmother' is big, loud psych rock at its rampaging best. Opening gambit Colossal contains some beautiful lyrics: "Well, she's running to the hills again / Can you tell me if she'll ever return / She must be Mother Nature's Child / 'Cause she's running to the call of the wild / She's talkin' to the trees again / Tellin' me she's one of them," yelps lead vocalist Andrew Stockdale, a man possessed of one of the most unique voices in Australian music today. It sounds like its been transported from the wild depths of 1973, a time when big hair, tight jeans and a mystical expression were a big hit with the ladies. That's what I figure the 'Wolf have been tuning into, channelling the spirit of Zeppelin, Yes and Love amongst other rock heavyweights of the era. Upon hearing the opening lines of White Unicorn, I thought, "Damn, this is the Kings Of Leon!" "Have you been to the carnival? / I would like to see you / There's a whole lot of people there / Who would like to be you," Stockdale howls. The guitar freak-out with the swirling organ near the end is pure Zeppelin, circa 'Physical Graffiti'. Pyramid opens on a high note, and amazingly gets even freakin' better. Buzzing guitar, manic drumming and the familiar whiney yelp of Stockdale feature once again: pure audio gold. Apple Tree is one my live favourites and producer Dave Sardy has captured this frenetic energy well. Okay, so it pillages some of the back catalogue of the White Stripes, but I don't really give a toss. Tales From The Forest Of Gnomes, apart from having a hilarious title, is the standout track here. The guitar riff really does it for me on this one. And is it just me, or does Vagabond sound like Devendra Banhart? Hailing from a time where music like this was called 'psychedelic', PSYCHEDELIC, people, somehow I think mind-altering lysergics could be a good idea. I mean, have you ever stopped wetting yourself at the organ solo in Mind's Eye and actually listened to the lyrics? Either way, get into this little gem as it could be one of the defining records of our generation.  |
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