Wolf & clover

Since I've been writing album reviews I've been lucky enough to have a few artist interactions that I wouldn't have had otherwise. I'm pretty sure that one artist that I reviewed actually signed up for my newsletter - so I send them the review I'd written. They deleted their subscription the next day. I guess I didn't give them enough of a glowing review.

I've had a few artists like my posts on instagram, and one or two follow me now. There's no more interaction than that, since I won't really post about them again unless I review another of their records, but it's fun to see that they take the time to see who's posting things about them.

What's happened this time is that I've actually been asked to write a review of an album! It feels like a real honor, and I suppose it is. 

Full disclosure, though: it's my friend Matt's band that plays traditional Irish music. They're called Wolf & Clover, and they're from Columbus, GA. They just self-released their debut self titled album; it's on Spotify and iTunes.

Matt and I go way back to my earliest days at UR. He'd just graduated from their Music Department, I'd just started as a production manager. I used to hang out at the house on Crumpets Ln. with Matt (and his roommates Matt, Mark, and Jared) - there were lots of video games played, music shared, and a body jewelry company was born. Matt's one of those guys that's got such a mind for music that when he asked me to take a listen I knew I'd be getting something good.

It's helpful that he's a great musician and composer, because I know not a damn thing about Irish music. I think that my full scope of Irish music runs from The Chieftains to The Cranberries along with watching Sinead O'Connor rip up a photo of the Pope on live TV. While at times it's felt rather repetitive to me, I can recognize it's patterns and repetitions. It's the kind of music that makes you want to dance - sometimes by yourself in one spot and sometimes in a long line like a reel. 

Wolf & Clover is not just a traditional Irish band. While their instrumentation certainly leans that way (they have whistles/flutes, violin, banjo, guitar/mandolin, and some accordion) they use those traditions to expand the palate. A perfect example is the the song "Go And Leave Me." It starts by taking the guitar out of the Irish rhythm section and lets it move up front; the song is written with a 16-bar blues feel. The band stays rooted in their traditional roots though, because when normally you'd find a guitar solo in a blues riff, you get fiddle and whistle instead. This is all in addition to the great vocals they have (even the one in Irish, "A Chailín Álainn").

As someone rather unfamiliar with the genre, Wolf & Clover seem to well understand that the average American doesn't know much about Irish folk music either. It's a great album that's traditional and modern, upbeat and balladeering, in English and Irish, and all around great listen.

Also, want to give credit where credit is due - that hand drawn cover art is by Columbus artist Joseph Melancon. You can check out more of his work right here.

Recommended tracks: "The First Night In America/Jerry's Beaver Hat/Will Smith's," "Go And Leave Me," "The Wild Goose," Sí Bheag Sí Mhór," "The First Avenue Set (At The Top of Cork Road/First Avenue/The Merry Maiden)"