Wolfman - 'Napoleon' (Bedlam)
2/5
By: Thomas Hannan
This was always going to be an interesting one. After the sublime 'For Lovers', we finally get to hear what the Wolfman is all about without his troubled but inarguably gifted mate Mr Doherty to provide the publicity. So, just who was really at the helm for that aforementioned triumph?
On this evidence - Pete. 'For Lovers' was a wistful, brilliantly timed piece of fragile brilliance, but after a listen to 'Darkness' you'll find it difficult to shake the feeling that the Wolfman may have just been along for the ride. Sadly, it fails to capitalise on the opportunities opened by its predecessor; sounding the utter opposite to its beautiful forerunner, this is a queasily smooth, largely spoken-word groove, complete with distant saxophone parts and backing singers of the kind you can imagine slinking and clicking along in some kind of expensive jazz bar.
Why, pray tell, the need for this unflattering polish? Something of the Albion charm appears to have rubbed off a lot more on 'Napoleon', the gritty Sex Pistols rock of the flip side saving the disc somewhat, but the lead tune shares none of its vitality. But hey - it's just the one track. So far, the output's 50/50 between genius and dreariness. So we'll keep an ear out on this one for you, as you'll agree, for 'For Lovers' to be a glorious one-off would be a crying shame.
Artists in this article: Wolfman
Your Feedback
Login to post your comment