(And since YouTube took this off…Here)

So when Wolfmother came out, what, 4 years ago? I totally thought we finally had a new band to rave about. The vocalist/guitarist Andrew Stockdale sounds like a cross between Robert Plant and the Mars Volta’s Cedric Bixler-Zavala, and is possibly the only singer to hit the mainstream in the past decade who doesn’t scream, growl or whine on the microphone. Such potential! Their first album was a full-throttle, pentatonic-charged, in-your-face rock. My band at the time was also mad that they took such an awesome name, because we were seriously considering adopting a name with the word “wolf” in it.

They were on Conan last night, and I was mildly disappointed by their new single, “New Moon Rising.” I say mildly, because it’s still a very catchy song with bluesy lyrics and enough energy. My complaint mainly concerns the bassist. I mean, what is he there for, really? The bassline is an exact replication of the guitar line, and sure it gives a punch to the melody, but done throughout the entire song, it actually takes away from the dynamics.

I try not to be biased when it comes to music, but for the type of song this is, I really wished the bass would give it more layers. For the number of musicians in the band, this new single has as much complexity as say, the White Stripes. Stockdale could just throw on an octave pedal and it would sound exactly the same, and that to me is a waste. They have produced an alternative rock song with a classic-rock voice, which… I guess should be commended in its own right, but I expected much more.

Wolfmother really needs to step it up. They can’t expect to get away with diddling around up and down the pentatonic scale anymore, because they did that already with their first album! Of course, I would have to listen to their new album in its entirety to judge them. But alas, I really wanted them to become the next Zeppelin and breathe some life into the stale music market. Hmph.