CD review: "Cosmic Egg"
Patrick Haynes
Issue date: 11/4/09 Section: The Edge
And then it's right back to the sludgy, heavy riffs that the band is known for, with the Deep Purple-influenced track, "In the Morning." This is followed by the title track, which borrows from another '60s hard rock band, this time ZZ Top, and is by far the bluesiest track Wolfmother has recorded.
The band tries something new on the experimental track, "Far Away," that features keyboards with an effect similar to that used by The Strokes' hit "12:51" and is easily the most commercial sounding song that Wolfmother recorded for the album. This is followed by the track "Pilgrim," which is the most similar track to "Woman" on this CD, though the band races through it at nearly double the speed, with Stockdale wailing behind a storm of guitars.
After two more hard-rocking, riff-based tracks, the album is closed by "Violence of the Sun," which features an infectious drum beat and the band slows the pace down to a point of surprise considering the tempo of the more recent songs. It is a ballad that is a completely new direction for the band, and is a first in that it doesn't borrow any noticeable traits from past bands that influence Wolfmother. And Stockdale's voice soars to a register that seems impossible for any mere human.
The fact is, if you were looking for the new lineup to completely abandon any past styles, then you will be extremely upset. But if you were hoping for a hard-rocking album that demands to be listened to at high volumes, and features a new direction for the band while continuing their trademark sound, you will not be disappointed.
The band tries something new on the experimental track, "Far Away," that features keyboards with an effect similar to that used by The Strokes' hit "12:51" and is easily the most commercial sounding song that Wolfmother recorded for the album. This is followed by the track "Pilgrim," which is the most similar track to "Woman" on this CD, though the band races through it at nearly double the speed, with Stockdale wailing behind a storm of guitars.
After two more hard-rocking, riff-based tracks, the album is closed by "Violence of the Sun," which features an infectious drum beat and the band slows the pace down to a point of surprise considering the tempo of the more recent songs. It is a ballad that is a completely new direction for the band, and is a first in that it doesn't borrow any noticeable traits from past bands that influence Wolfmother. And Stockdale's voice soars to a register that seems impossible for any mere human.
The fact is, if you were looking for the new lineup to completely abandon any past styles, then you will be extremely upset. But if you were hoping for a hard-rocking album that demands to be listened to at high volumes, and features a new direction for the band while continuing their trademark sound, you will not be disappointed.
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