Izvajalec: Wolf People
Založba: Jagjaguwar Records
Izid: year
Trajanje: 42:55
Ocena: 4.6/5
Na londonskih vijoličnih gričih, polnih modre trave, oranžnih dreves in mavričnih ptic, Wolf People igrajo za črne ovce. Včasih žalostno, včasih srečno, sem počasne žalostinke in tja vesele poskočnice. Vse v spremljavi nešteto barv, ki se prelivajo skozi vedno menjajoče se oblike okoliških stvari, oblakov, ki tvorijo londonska predmestja in londonskih predmestij, ki so pravzaprav oblaki. Britanska alternativna scena je pred časom postala bogatejša za bend, ki s svojo inteligentno svežino vnaša v kronologijo psihedeličnega rocka novo desetletje ob bok šestdesetim in sedemdesetim.
Britanski eklektiki seveda, kljub moderni interpretaciji inovativnega rocka, ne zavračajo premnogih vplivov šestdesetih in sedemdesetih prejšnjega stoletja. Zabavljač Captain Beefheart, psihedeliki Can, ljudski jazzerji Pentangle in tako naprej, torej kopica pravih glasbenih inovatorjev, unikatnih vsak na svoj način – vsi so po svoje prispevali k celovitemu zvoku Wolf People. Verjetno pa se da največjo vzporednico povleči z legendarnimi Jethro Tull, predvsem zaradi uporabe flavte ob distorziranih kitarskih pasažah ter svojstveno posebnega vokala, čeprav paralelo s “Tullsi” Wolf People zavračajo – ob primerjavah so bili v intervjujih celo presenečeni, saj nihče izmed njih ni nekakšen fanatičen Tull fan. Uporabo pihal občudujejo predvsem v bendih Breakout, Traffic, Family in Mighty Baby.
Če torej poznate naštete bende, potem si že lahko zamislite daljne in medle zvoke debija Wolf People “Steeple”. Andersonov ljudski vokal ter igranje flavte, nekaj surrealnih zvočnih zaves skupin Traffic in Family… vendar s trenutkom, ko zaslišimo Sharpov svilnat, mravljince-sprožajoč vokal, dobimo amnezijo in vse, kar ostane, so Wolf People. Kdo je že Ian Anderson? Sharpov mehak in pomirjajoč vokal, sicer zmožen izjemnih širin, višin ter ostalih nekaj dimenzij, hitro vzpostavi bendov stil, hkrati pa nešteto ostalih primesi prepoji prepoznavnost “volčjih ljudi”, ki ne prioritizirajo le vokala, s čimer bend tvori neponovljivo osebnost.
Tako so že prvi koraki v “Steeple” unikatno omamni. Vsaka skladba je sicer drugačna, vendar so kljub temu od prve do zadnje vse Wolf People. Odpirajoča “Silbury Sands” nas tako predstavi z morda dolgo pozabljenimi mravljinci na hrbtu, ki se vedno znova pojavijo ob čudovitemu Sharpovemu glasu, ob bujenju iz zasanjanosti pa se, kot rečeno, hitro zavemo še ostalih primesi v folkovski distorzirani psihedeliki Britancev. Občasni težki kitarski riffi, ki se obešajo na kopico zamazanih in pulzirajočih efektov ter obnorele linije in soli flavte ukrojijo zvočno sliko, ki se poslušalcu vgravira v miselni tok in skupaj tvorita eno zavest. Album nas sicer (ravno ob pravih trenutkih) vrne izključno lastni zavesti, vendar nas nato z vrhunci, med katere poleg odpirajoče skladbe spadajo še Tiny Circles, Morning Born (ki je osebni favorit) ter dvojček epskega zaključka Banks of Sweet Dundee, vrže nazaj v geografske sanje Sharpa, neobstoječe fantazijske pokrajine, pastelne kraje s še nevideno naravo, in tej kraji zavesti se nikoli ne upremo. In tudi če bi se poskušali, bi bili neuspešni.
Wolf People tako neprestano skačejo čez mejo inovativnosti in retrospektivnosti, čez mejo modernosti in zastarelosti, čez mejo nečesa že slišanega s tistim občutkom domačnosti ter nečesa presenetljivega in neznanega. Ta meja je vedno zabrisana, navidezna, vedno tvorjena na novo in na drugem mestu. Vse v simbiozi in simetrijo s tistim zvočnim in liričnim slikanjem vedno novih pokrajin v naši zavesti, kjer smo prav tako vedno na varnem, doma.
On the purple hills of London, covered in blue grass, filled with orange trees and overpopulated with rainbow birds, Wolf People are playing for black sheep. Sometimes in sad tones, other times with happy majors, mixing slow lamentations and funky dances, accompanied by a myriad of colours that slowly blend through the always changing forms of their surroundings, through clouds, which form London suburbs, and London suburbs, which are actually clouds in the sky. British alternative scene has gotten a band, which with its intelligent freshness pairs another century with the psychedelic rock of the sixties and seventies.
Of course, despite their modern sound, it is impossible for the British eclectics to deny the influence from the sixties and seventies of the last century. Jester Captain Beefheart, psychedelics Can, folk jazzers Pentangle and so on – all of these musicians did their job at contributing to the Wolf People’s sound. But the biggest parallel could be drawn with the legendary Jethro Tull, especially because of heavy use of flute alongside distorted guitar passages and inherently special vocals, though Wolf People deny the parallel with the “Tulls” – when they were compared to them, Jack Sharp was surprised, because none of the members is a Tull fanatic. They admire the use of the flute in bands like Breakout, Traffic, Family and Mighty Baby.
If you therefore know the mentioned bands, you can already picture the sounds of “Steeple”, Wolf People’s debut, though those sounds may still be distant and dulled. We imagine Anderson’s folk vocals and flute manoeuvres, surreal soundscapes of Traffic and Family… but as soon as Sharp’s silky, back-tingling vocals kick in, we get amnesia and all there is left is Wolf People. Anderson who? Sharp’s mellow and comforting voice, capable of exceptional widths, heights and other few dimensions, quickly establishes the band’s style, but at the same time numerous other admixtures entrain the image of Wolf People, who don’t prioritise only vocals, which gives the band recognizable and inimitable personality.
Even the first venture into “Steeple” is a unique daze. Although every track is different, each and every one of them shouts (or rather, howls) Wolf People. Opening “Silbury Sands” reunites us with the long lost tingling sensations on our backs, though after returning to reality from Sharp’s hypnotic vocals the listener quickly becomes aware of other ingredients that make up that Wolf People sound. Regular heavy guitar riffs, which rely on tons of fuzzy and sludgy effects, and wacko flute lines and solos form this sound picture that engraves itself into listener’s train of thoughts with which it forms one conscience. Their music lets us go to our own thoughts at times, but never frees us for real, especially because there are so many highlights – tracks like Tiny Circles, Morning Born (my personal favourite) and the epic duo Banks of Sweet Dundee are definitely some of the album peaks. Sharp’s geographical dreams, non-existent fantasy landscapes, pastel coloured places with never before seen nature… we never want to leave that.
Wolf People are continuously crossing the line between innovation and retrospective, between modernity and obsolescence, between something already heard with that homey feeling and something surprising and unknown. This line is never clear, always created from thin air, always in a new place. Working perfectly in symbiosis and symmetry with those sound and lyrical pictures of always newly created landscapes in our mind, where we are always safe, always home.
Zasedba
Jack Sharp – kitara, vokal
Joe Hollick – kitara
Tom Watt – bobni
Daniel Davis – bas kitara
Seznam skladb
01. Silbury Sands
02. Tiny Circle
03. Painted Cross
04. Morning Born
05. Cromlech
06. One By One From Dorney Reach
07. Castle Keep
08. Banks of Sweet Dundee Pt. 1
09. Banks of Sweet Dundee Pt. 2
