PLUG

I started writing this saying I don’t know how i feel about the new Wolfmother CD (compact disc), “Cosmic Egg.”

I do love the album design and name. Definitely retro rock and roll. Nothin’s heavier than a fuckin floating egg. But the first few tracks didn’t have me moving like this Australian trio’s self-titled 2005 debut.

There are some gems to be found, but overall this album lacks the cohesiveness and catchiness the debut had.

The solos and extended jams and improvs are good when they’re there, but the wolf’s mother has definitely lost a bit of edge in this new one.

It seems less natural. It’s like the guys went into a room and were like we should record some rock songs, did, and then threw in a few extra niceties.

It’s not all bad, though. “In The Morning” and “Violence of the Sun” are both pretty awesome jam outs.

But many of the other songs are a bit of a wash. Nothing memorable, nothing particularly captivating.

Do keep in mind this band has only three guys in it, they rule live (saw them at Live 105’s BFD in Mountain View few years back) and won a grammy for best hard rock song with “Woman.”

The self-titled wrapped me in from beginning to end and changed up the pace enough to keep me interested. “Joker and the Thief” and “Mind’s Eye” were excellent.

But for this one, I’m going to have to go back and listen more and revise this when the tracks grow on me and I might just like it a little more. Hopefully that happens. Because unlike some critics, I’m not wishing for a band to release a bad CD just so I can write a scathing review.

OK, not totally true. If it was someone like Panic! At The Disco (are they still around? I think they broke up thankfully), then maybe I would cross my fingers for something even shittier. But I mostly follow bands I like (go figure) so I’m constantly hoping the new disc is going to blow my mind.

I first heard this band freshman year of college, wandering around the third floor of Encinitas Hall at Cal Poly Pomona.

I had a group of guys I’d hang out with, and one of them was a surfer dude from Malibu named Seth.

He walked around in board shorts and no shoes pretty much every day. Let’s just say his wardrobe was pretty small.

But playing from his speakers as I walked into his room was something that sounded like Black Sabbath meets Led Zeppelin. Now there’s plenty of rock and roll groups out there who probably aim for just that, but I literally thought it was a Sabbath song I just hadn’t heard yet. The voice was a young Ozzy to a T on first listen.

Turns out it was this new group with a badass name and a badass sound.

Whether that will stick, especially since rumors of a breakup and so much time since the last release, only time will tell.

No Zeppelin IV, that’s for sure.

Next up: stuff about Silversun Pickups, Ben Harper and the Swell Season.