Wolfmother – Rock’n’roll Baby (2019)

I discovered the other day that Wolfmother released a new album at the very end of 2019 called Rock’n’roll Baby. I hadn’t heard anything about it but happened upon it when it popped up in recommendations on Spotify. It is hard to find much about it online other than it was recorded at Dave Grohl‘s studio and has mixed reviews.

Who is Wolfmother?

First, let’s take a step back for those of you who haven’t heard of Wolfmother. They definitely fit into what I call modern retro rock — new music that is a throwback to the old school. Their style is in the vein of Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath of old. Singer and guitarist Andrew Stockdale, also the only original member of the band, certainly has a vocal style similar to Zeppelin or Sabbath. But where a band like Greta Van Fleet make you question “Is that Led Zeppelin”, Wolfmother has their own sound. You can hear the influence of the old school greats. I recommend Dimension, White Unicorn, Woman, and Victorious to get a good idea of their sound.

I feel like most people have heard the song Woman, so check out the music video for my favorite song Dimension.

Rock’n’roll Baby

Rock’n’roll Baby is not what I expected, especially after 2016’s Victorious. It’s obvious from the first listen that it is much less polished and produced. The vocals change levels from song to song, the guitars are even muddier than usual, and nothing really sticks out about the songs.

But… I really love it. Rock’n’roll Baby is a fun, good old fashioned guitar rock album. I don’t think it’s trying to be anything else. The mix is rough but it has a raw energy to it. It feels like you’re in the room with them and everything is cranked to 11. It’s like they just finished putting the songs together and had to show you. The guitar may be a little dirtier but I love some good fuzz and this album is full of it.

You can hear the fuzz I’m talking about from the start of the album’s opener Higher. I really like the solo that starts around the 1:50 mark and leads into the breakdown. Rock’n’roll Survivor has more fuzz, though a little different and bassier. This song has a really catchy chorus and very much feels like the album’s title track. The next song, Hot Night, has a Muse-like sound with multiple vocal harmonies going.

I think my favorite song on the album is Kick Ass. It’s definitely a bit silly but I really dig the main guitar riff and I’m a sucker for the organ that comes in during the chorus. Spanish Rose has some really fun guitar harmonies especially when you get to the breakdown at 2:48. On an album of mostly different sounding songs, Freedom is Mine is the song most likely to be on another Wolfmother album. The final song on the album, Special Lady, is the most unique. The intro guitar riff makes me think of Heart, ZZ Top, or Cheap Trick. Stockdale also has a slightly different vocal approach on this song. The chorus sounds like Ozzy but also has an interesting synth effect at the end. The song does have a pretty wicked solo at 1:55.

Listen

Check it out and let me know what you think about Wolfmother‘s Rock’n’roll Baby.