Wolf People – Steeple

Last year, they cleared out the leftovers. This year, Wolf People capitalize on a steady buzz built on their respect and sheer love of late ‘60s/early ‘70s rock and roll with their Jagjaguwar debut, Steeple.

After forming in 2006, Wolf People started with a series of 7” singles and a limited edition EP. The result was a slowly growing appreciation for Jack Sharp, Joe Hollick, Dan Davies and Tom Watt, and the band eventually signed with the Bloomington, Indiana label Jagjaguwar – home of Bon Iver, Okkervil River and Parts & Labor among others. Tidings became the first official release, a proper roundup of the songs and demos from those first few years. Now the band returns with nine new songs to comprise their debut full-length.

Steeple is filled with dirty psych grooves and echoes of heroes like Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. The album closing two-parter ‘Banks of Sweet Dundee’ serves up nine-minutes of classic rock education with its stunning guitar work and vintage percussion. ‘Painted Cross’ offers up a muscular opening riff that flexes throughout before giving way to a killer solo near the track’s ending. It’s the album’s highlight that feels at home alongside some of rock’s classic hits.

The English quartet’s recent tour with Black Mountain is a fitting pairing, since both are not only label mates but also proudly carry an authentic torch for rock history. Black Mountain holds a bit more swagger and a penchant for the epic moment, but it’s Wolf People that generates a more consistent product.