WolveSpirit

With titles like Blowin’ Up, Holy Smoke, Dreamcatcher and Spacetrippin it’s not going to take Sherlockian deductive powers to work out what this album sounds like. It’s all here: the stoner guitar grooves, Hammond organs and the sort of sounds that conjure up a toasted, fuggy studio. Seasoned rockers aren’t going to find much here that’s unfamiliar. That said, they do it very well, and WolveSpirit do have a Camberwell Carrot in their midst.

Singer Debbie gives WolveSpirit a versatility that other bands of this ilk lack. She has the requisite bourbon and blues tones when needed but can take a step away if necessary. During the chorus on Making Me Wild, she sounds like Kate Bush (Baboushka). There ares some particularly fine performances on Dreamcatcher and the (very) early Rush tinged Crossroads, the latter one of the albums highlights.

Gipsy Queen is a full on rocker, which is welcome as the album does feel a touch one paced up to that point. Raven is leaden, while the album rounds off with Wake Up and Spacetrippin which while being heavy sound a bit tired.

The band’s performances are fine and other than Debbie it wouldn’t be fair to pick anyone out. They do sound great but that’s nothing more than anyone would expect with Michael Wagener at the controls. All in all, it's not a bad album by any stretch, just lacking some spark.