Release Date: January 31, 2012
Hailing from Chicago, American Wolf is setting itself up to stand out in a competitive musical climate. Tales of Kamanakera is, among many things, an ambitious record that tries to please everyone–and like most projects that have their feet in too many places at once–it tends to trip up. But like most overly dedicated interns, there’s no question in what the group has to offer. The question is, are they themselves aware of their own potential?
They put their best foot forward with opening track “House of Zyer”. This is a song that uses some of the most interesting sound-collage work to come up yet this year: little snippets of found sound blend perfectly together.
Structurally, American Wolf have a lot going for them. Tracks such as “El Cielo es Azul” all but beg to be noticed. A wonderfully understated song, it’s gentle enough to be a lullaby but compelling enough to be an anthem for those wee, wasted hours of the morning.
Closer “Don’t Shake Your Head” is something of a magnificent accident. Restrained and intimate, the song transcends the otherwise juvenile lyricism of the rest of the record. Lines such as “We’re all doomed/ leave us here to rot” come across as oddly profound and cathartic. It’s a fleeting moment, and a glimmer of what American Wolf could be a with a couple of years on the road and a trustworthy producer in the studio.
As is the case with many young bands, American Wolf go for broke. So when they miss the mark, they do so by miles: throughout the entirety of Kamanakera they seem to misread where their own strengths are. This occurs on a fairly grand scale; several tracks aim for anthemic heights that fall flat where they should soar.
The devil, as they say, is in the details: minor quibbles nearly sink the Kamanakera ship–a lead singer who tries to sell emotional climaxes with a wispy voice, and inconsistent songwriting are among many things to blame. Hearing the group whimpering the sentiment “never again, never again” over an endless loop on “Muted Colors” isn’t sad or even remotely interesting. It’s just weird. Elsewhere, “Respect Your Idols” throws the masterful subtlety of “Don’t Shake Your Head” out the window and reaches for the heartstrings.
That’s not to say the band can’t produce some nice ambient arrangements. The lush guitar on “El Cielo es Azul” has more than a cameo appearance on Kamanakera. American Wolf conjure up tunes that, on their own, would be perfectly moving as instrumentals. Sadly, these instrumentals aren’t left alone; they are tinkered with and thrown together with songwriting that simply doesn’t fit; blunting the overall impact of the music. Where the album should be understated, it is instead overwrought and gushy.
So, some great songwriting on the subdued end of the scale, and some great sounds on the lavish end of the scale: how to place these two extremes together? It’s a puzzle, and one that American Wolf will figure out in time. Like most prog rock acts that struggle to find their footing at first, these Chicago musicians need to discover when enough is enough. In crafting one’s own aesthetic, it helps to understand when and where one has found too much of a good thing.
American Wolf – Tales of Kamanakera tracklist:
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“House of Zyer”
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“Brave New Machine”
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“El Cielo es Azul”
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“See Ya In L.A., America”
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“Muted Colors”
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“Respect Your Idols”
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“Tales of Kamanakera”
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“Don’t Shake Your Head”
