Wolfmother
Cosmic Egg
12 Track, LP (2009, Modular)
Related: Wolfmother.
In what circumstances is halfway good considered a victory? And does the very notion of being modestly acceptable defeat Wolfmother’s purpose? Cosmic Egg, the second album from a band that is now very much focused upon frontman and songwriter Andrew Stockdale, is not the record the title suggests. Instead of the expected heavy duty Tolkien raps it repeatedly allows for intimations of reality; as Stockdale puts it on the closing “Violence of the Sun”: “Well I woke up and tried to see me.”
That’s a curious concept – the “me” – for a project that’s been predicated on absence, on having a void at the centre. Part of the rancour drawn by 2005’s Wolfmother stemmed from the almost comical physical divergence between Stockdale and the sounds he aped. His stratospheric assault on the upper registers was rendered virtually spectral because it couldn’t possibly come from such a frail, ungainly figure. He couldn’t have looked less like a hardened Brummie game for anything rock’n’roll had to offer.
That just exacerbated the fantasy stylings of the first disc, but while the new album moves in a similar direction it just doesn’t have the same conviction. There are still numerous verses where, like Moses, Stockdale comes down from the mountains to extol the possibilities of nature. “We could walk into the field and see where it’s begun,” he offers on ‘In the Castle’, but Cosmic Egg just doesn’t speak so broadly to the utopian ideal that’s been so prevalent in popular music over recent years. The elves simply don’t get a guernsey.
That could stem from Stockdale playing to the strengths of his musicians. Of the three new sets of hands – guitarist/keyboardist Ian Peres, rhythm guitarist Aidan Nemeth and drummer David Atkins – the most prominent is the latter, whose years producing and playing with Resin Dogs have made him an advocate of adept rhythms. On the likes of ‘New Moon’ Atkins holds down a tight groove, and on the whole there’s few of the showy, chutzpah-laden flourishes that previously denoted tracks such as ‘Mind’s Eye’. Also heard is producer Alan Moulder (My Bloody Valentine, Nine Inch Nails) who keeps the tracking relatively streamlined, while playing up grace notes such as the amphetamine dry piano part that repeatedly veers up out of ‘Sundial’.
Epic is relative on Cosmic Egg. On the opening block nothing runs over four minutes per track and with the sparring percussion and airy cadences of ‘White Feather’ there’s even a catchy 45 up front. DNA-wise it lifts Free, which is indicative of Wolfmother’s move from wigged-out psychedelic rock and proto-metal towards ’70s rock. There’s also a pair of autumnal (power) ballads, somewhat reminiscent of The Vines’ excursions into The Beatles’ songbook, in ‘Far Away’ and ‘In the Morning’ that widen their always obvious influences.
The former is the oft heard musician’s lament about the hardship of being away from home, which is wholly predictable as second-albums-after-successful-debuts go, but is still a surprise in Wolfmother’s case, as it puts aside the hobbit hole as a place of residence. Depending on whether you think Wolfmother shuffling towards the real world is a welcome change or a failure of nerve will govern your take on their second album – not ludicrous enough can play out in either direction.
Like Jet’s Shaka Rock, Cosmic Egg surprises to the upside. Anyone who says it’s merely a repeat of 2005 is not listening closely enough. If Jet and Wolfmother have both cut albums that bounce back and forth track by track between the bearable and the good, then that’s two targets for easy scorn removed from the firing line. Perhaps it’s time that some of Australia’s sacred cows received that now excess scrutiny instead?
by Craig Mathieson
An amateur cover band in a Brisbane nightclub has done what we’ve tri…
Wolfmother have done an about face on their decision to cancel their a…
Another Wolfmother drummer has stood down – and this time it has absol…
You could hardly accuse Chris Ross and Myles Heskett of sitting on the…
The eggo has landed. Well, not really. It’s sort of just suspended th…
Great words Craig. You've convinced me to hear this.
This is one hell of a phrase.
So who are the cows, Mathieson?
Having seen their live show incorporating some of the songs from this album, I can say I am less than impressed. They were at least funny the first time, now it's like a cabaret act.
Except he never thanked the band.
What is promo-metal?
Normally the prefix in any metal genre signifies what the metal will be about. (eg Viking Metal is about vikings, Doom Metal is about doom and Pirate Metal is about pirates) In this case, it's metal about the woes of promotion.
Metal with ads in it
Harlots of PR spread your wings
As I penetrate your demographic
Feel the desire to buy-in shoot through your body
As I slip into your zeitgeist
Cast aside, do as you will
I care not how you market
My promo shots now stalk the earth
Born from my demon seed
I read it as Sports Tonight-fodder.
Or metal that's seemingly engineered to be used in ads?
wat?
it's supposed to read: ''the elves simply'' and ''PROTO-metal''.
promo-metal's a great phrase though - change it back, editor!
Aw, I reckon promo-metal is a pretty good coinage.
Nice one Shaun!
album is fine and dandy.
a- in the av club too.
its a shame bz's review from the smh isn't online yet.
yowsers.
i can't think of anything i like about this band.
Andrew Stockdale's musicianship and vocals, the name, the artwork, their fans... nothing.
This is probably the best thing you've ever written, Prescott. And that's really, really saying something.
I came back from UBER MEETING FROM HELL and laughed uproariously at this.
I can also imagine Burzum singing this for some reason. Possibly because he is, and I never realised.
This is like the Lost Valentinos creed.
To be fair, Tom Araya co-wrote.
I think you like the album...? Or am I misinterpreting ''surprises to the upside''? This review is just awful. Learn to write, guy.
I think expectations may have been low going in.
Fixed it.
Yeah, that Zuel review was a hilarious scoorcher!
with one 'o'
I laughed when I read that one
ouch !!
It's the stuff they play during ''Sports Tonight''
Yeah, come back when you've got a bit more experience and credibility under your belt, Mathieson. I bet you didn't even listen to the album. Hater!
I haven't heard the album, and I don't intend to. I do not count myself as much of a Wolfmother fan. I just think this review is a lot of waffle; bad writing (and bad editing). Think about it: why would a Wolfmother fan go on the defensive about a positive review? Your super-mega editing powers are only matched by your ability to reason. (You're the editor, right?)
How dare Bernard Zuel slander the good name of cheese fondue!
Haha my thoughts exactly. Cheese fondue is the biz.
Mmmm, cheese.
i agree with Koff.
This album seems almost fucking endless.
impenetrable review.
i signed up especially just to say that.
could you be any more guarded with your praise? grow some balls.
We don't talk about mathieson's recent vasectomy here. It's considered impolite.
That reads like an excellent spam email. Do you know any single Russian babes?
dude needs a fucken haircut for starters, he looks like a clown.
worse even.....Nicole Kidman.
Hated by Goons:
...
Brohemians.
Like by some
Wolfmother is for middle-aged people and teenagers.
yeah? I'm both and they bore the shit outta me.
Oh, I meant the 'general public'
oh fair enough, yeah agreed. I spose its entertainment. bit like waiting for a vic 20 tape drive to load a crappy space invaders game.
Warrick from Greville told me the other day that he thought this was ''the worst record EVER made''. Big call, but now I'm curious to hear how bad it is.
it's a rockin' epic of epic rockin'.
i don't get how anyone can hate a record that's so deliberately stupid.
i think it's a whole shitload of fun.
THE PASSING OF THE BATON/STICK, SO TO SPEAK...
Hello all,
Well, after two years of good service to Wolfmother, Dave Atkins has decided to leave the band to spend much-needed time at home with his family.
Dave has had a great experience touring and recording with the band, though in time, it’s proven to be too exhausting and taxing on his home life. Dave gives his blessings to the band and may well still be around for future recordings.
All is good between the band, everyone is cool, this is more of a life change decision for Dave. After Andrew’s performances in L.A with Slash, the band decided to audition a few drummers whilst they were in town. And we’ve come across a young gun by the name of Will Rockwell-Scott of ‘Mooney Suzuki’ and ‘Har Mar Superstar’ fame. We’re very happy to have him on board and Will is keen as mustard to enter into the realm of Wolfmother.
So at this point Will Rockwell-Scott, will be with us for the rest of the Cosmic Egg touring cycle. So we look forward to seeing you all over the next three months in Europe, the U.S and Australia. There are some great festivals on the horizon and the band is really looking forward to seeing everyone out there.
All the best,
Wolfmother
Bring in another elf, I say