*** out of *****
To any ’60s and ’70s rock-lovers out there: Be ready to rejoice when Steeple is played through your computer or, even more appropriately for the sound of the album, through a dusty boom box on your back porch.
Wolf People, the rock band from Britain, will release its first album, Steeple, with Jagjaguwar Records on Oct. 12.
In February, the band released the much softer-sounding Tidings, a compilation of 15 singles put together by the band’s lead vocalist, Jack Sharp. The collection is merely a taste test of Wolf People’s overall sound, showcasing only a few of the band’s late-60s, early ’70s influences.
These Grateful Dead-era influences are clearly present in Steeple, with such tracks as “Banks of Sweet Dundee Pt. 1” and “Morning Born.” All echo the far-out sounds of this rock ’n’ roll band with soft trailing lyrics and heavy musical tones.
The album is highly centered on the instrumentation, with many long guitar riffs throughout the nine songs that are often accompanied by light drumming and the sounds of a tambourine.
Completely void of lyrics, “Cromlech” highlights the band’s harmonious musical talents, including two guitarists, one bassist, and a drummer. The song starts of rather chaotically — similar to the end of a guitar solo — and builds up to a more cohesive ending.
The songs blend together so well that it is difficult to tell when one song ends and a new one begins.
Usually, only the introduction of a new instrument is the only indication of a change in song.
It is evident that the four band members like to jam, especially the drummer, Tom Watt, with his steady thumping rhythm present in all of the songs. The crisp clash of the cymbals are also apparent throughout the album, adding to the rich background sound.
The addition of the flute in the song “Tiny Circle” brings a surprising quirkiness to the tune and also serves to make it the most upbeat track of the album. “Tiny Circle” emphasizes the band’s common pattern throughout its songs — extensive and fast-paced instrumental jams that lead into short spurts of gentle sounds.
During the rare lyrical moments throughout the album, Sharp’s high-pitched voice accents the ends of words, often holding onto them until he has no more air to keep them up. His voice is also nasally at times, sounding a bit like the voice of Fran Healy, the lead vocalist of the alternative rock band Travis. This is especially noticeable in the song “Silbury Sands.”
Steeple sounds as if it were recorded 40 years ago, like something that would have been played in Eric Foreman’s basement on “That ’70s Show.”
Overall, Steeple is sure to be a hit with nostalgic ’70s rock fans. Those who play this album will be taken back to another era; an era of bell-bottoms, boom boxes, and real rock ’n’ roll.