We Are Wolves "Total Magique" (Dare to Care Records) Sounds Like: A coarse electro-punk howl.
This album cover looks like a take on Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon." And before I heard We Are Wolves' "Total Magique," I thought Floyd was dark. Hell, no. This album gives that word an entirely new meaning.
Psychedelic golden triangles are nothing. There are diamond skies, serenades, golden lakes, seas of snakes ... you name it. This is the travel brochure of psychedelic trips. And for the sober listener, they are talking about darkness beyond black. I guess you don't name your band We Are Wolves for nothing.
The trio says the band's fourth member is Rock. To be fair, though, punk and electronic music are also part of the mix, among the many other genres and sounds with which they experiment. In their own words, their music comes from a post-punk landscape. In 1984, The Ramones were "Howling at the Moon," and 13 years later, these three young Quebecois greet us, saying, "We are the Wolves." Should we trust them?
"Fight and Kiss," the opener on the band's sophomore release, comes off as overly intense. There is something about the juxtaposition of guitars, bass, drums and a digital synthesizer that simply makes you want to cough. There is too much going on, and the listener feels overwhelmed, while "Some Words," the next song in the album, is simply too choppy.
On the other hand, they are vindicated with the more psychedelic "Coconut Night." The melody feels more authentic and departed from the roughness of the punk-dance mix. In fact, the album from here on out makes a transition toward more natural, punk-like vocals. "I Wrote Your Name on My Kite" is definitely worthy of repeated listens.
The old pacifist, anti-war feeling of '70s British punk rock ? la the Sex Pistols emerges in "Vietnam." "Walk Away Walk" shows the band crawling back toward more traditional punk, which they are better at. With "Teenage, Bats and Anthropology," the listener gets a chance to hear a song that mirrors the modern youth. According to We Are Wolves, we are all about drugs and relationships. It's a bit of a punk anthem that smells like teen spirit.
Despite such saving graces and a waffling, back-to-basics punk attitude, We Are Wolves will have to make strong decisions on what their genre and audience is if they are to garner a true fan base. They simply have to stop trying to please sassy electro DJs, pacifist neo-punks and psychedelic rockers all at once.
-LAURA BUSCHE
