Streetlight - Wolf Notes (Album)
You can sometimes tell what an album or EP is going to be like just by the first few seconds of the opening song. Listening to Streetlight’s EP Wolf Notes this is definitely the case. It is one of those EPs that has such a powerhouse beginning, you just know it is going to be brilliant. Listening to it in its entirety just proves it.
The first song Watch the Empire Fall, is just amazing. It starts off with an energy and aggression thanks to pounding drums and guitars, and builds through the verses to an awesome chorus, with the instruments and vocals combining to create a powerful wall of noise. The way it is played is confident and brash with the vocals assured and cocky, making it one of those songs that is made to be played live and loud.
Red Sunrise is a straightforward rock track with some cool guitar interplay. Elsewhere, St. Peters starts off sounding like the soundtrack to an intergalactic space mission to Mars, with the singer wistfully singing “She rises like the sun.” The trippy, spaced-out guitar noises then morph into something dripping with power and rawness.
The EP finishes with the strong closer Vietnam. It starts off like a slow-burning country song, complete with slide guitars. “I took the long road/ I got the storm behind me” drawls the vocalist before saying “I am a soldier that wants to get home.” The song about being far from home in a strange land, builds from an acoustic tune into a monster of a song, with the vocals being roared and the chorus consisting of rousing lalalas. Listening to this song, I can just imagine a live crowd singing along to this ferocious number.
What a difference a few years makes. Wolf Notes sounds completely different from Streetlight’s previous efforts, and it seems like the band has now found their feet. Streetlight are one of those bands that know the value of having quiet parts in songs, then just blasting them into space. On this six-track EP there are honestly no weak songs. Every song is strong enough to stand on its own, featuring very tight playing and a raw sound. Wolf Notes is definitely worth a listen, as Streetlight have a very bright future ahead of them.
