Review: Wolfmother - New Crown
[Self-released, 2014]
Rating: 4.5/10
By Justin Silk, Staff Writer
Key Tracks: "Feelings," "How Many Times," "Tall Ships"
Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
In 2006, Aussie hard rock band Wolfmother were on the top of the world. Its debut album sold like hotcakes and everyone knew its screaming anthem “Woman.” The band had some naysayers who called it derivative, but Wolfmother had far more supporters who admired the band’s desire to revive a dying genre.
What made Wolfmother such a great act was its ability to write infectious hard rock songs. Each song on the band’s self-titled debut was created with such care, and indicated a light-hearted spirit. It was hard not to get swept up in the music, and it was even harder not to sing along.
Wolfmother followed up its debut in 2009 with Cosmic Egg, which featured singer-songwriter Andrew Stockdale as the band’s only returning member. It wasn’t a classic like Wolfmother, but was still a great rock record in its own right. The band continued to play on its strengths, and in the end the album’s quality was still remarkably high.
With time, however, it was clear that Wolfmother’s art was dying. The magic of the music was growing stale and listeners didn’t want more of the same. Record labels recognized this trend, which is why Wolfmother struggled to interest anyone in its third album. The band’s intended third album was subsequently released as a solo album for Stockdale, and in its place the band has now released New Crown.
Simply put, New Crown should not exist. Stockdale claimed that Wolfmother was finished when he released his solo record, but the band was revived, most likely due to the public's total disinterest in his solo career. However, no one wanted this revival.
New Crown is the sad product of an unwanted band. The independent release is unpolished and poorly produced. Stockdale and his crew of musicians have never sounded worse.
That being said, the album isn’t a total dud. Diehard Wolfmother fans will still enjoy this album, and anyone who appreciates ‘70s hard rock even a little will find something to like about New Crown. However, no one is going to love it all the way through, let alone remember that it exists in a year’s time.
“How Many Times” starts off New Crown familiarly. It’s a typical Wolfmother song, and only slightly above average compared to the rest of the band’s work. “How Many Times” is the vintage Wolfmother highlight of the record.
The album’s other shining moments are when the band decides to experiment a little. “Heavy Weight” is a murky stoner rock song that borders on doom metal, and is the band’s gift to fans who worship Black Sabbath.
“Tall Ships” is a mix between stoner rock and hard rock, and features Stockdale’s best vocal performance on the record. The eerie keyboard part at the end is one of the album’s strongest moments.
“Feelings” is another weird track, signifying Wolfmother’s attempt to make a punk song. Surprisingly, it works successfully, and ends up one of the album’s best songs. But it still sounds like an oddball track, and probably should have been a B-side.
New Crown is an uneven, bizarre and poorly produced record. What it is not, however, is a waste of time to listen to. The album has some decent songs that are a nice change of pace for Wolfmother. New Crown should be seen as a low-point for the band though, and hopefully the group will rebound with a release that is as refreshing as its debut opus.
