Album Review: Wolves and the Radio

Wolves and the Radio have hit on something with their self-titled January release. With a post-punk sound that evokes visions of beards, flannels, and PBR, the album pays homage to bands like Hot Water Music. The sound is familiar enough to appeal to any punk fan, but the bands shines in the more unique songs. The songs have a catchy, anthemic quality that makes you want to raise a glass or a fist and sing along.

The opening track has you reeling with urgent guitars and searing vocals. Vocalist Matt Murphy lets loose with the first line, "Hey there stranger, don't you dare pass me by" and indeed, Wolves and the Radio is not a band to be ignored. The album carries at a steadily breakneck pace for the most part, and the band certainly shows its speed and ferocity with songs like "Kellegra" and "Minus One".

The standout on the album in my opinion is "St. Maria", which sticks out from the other songs with a slower, more thoughtful tone. Granted the song picks up some pace towards the end, but it's more of a slow build, showing a wise deviation from a simpler song structure.

Wolves and the Radio close out the album with a pair of acoustic songs, a welcome respite after an exhausting, fast-paced ride through the first nine tracks. "One Sitting" is a hybrid introspection and drinking song, and manages to keep from being corny on either account. Overall Wolves and the Radio showed they know their punk history with this release and that they can execute that style to a T. However when the album really triumphs is when they change the pace or the song structure up. I look forward to hearing from these guys in the future, they are not going anywhere.