Unmasked – Wolf Colony (reviewed by Dave Franklin)

Although the artist known as Wolf Colony may play the anonymity game very well, his music wears some pretty recognisable musical trappings. Mixing vibrant, contemporary beats with a melancholic take on early eighties synth-pop the result is a collection of songs that are as backward glancing as they are pioneering. Beyond the solid framework of beats the music is nuanced and minimal rather than complex and byzantine and it is this approach that makes it difficult to pin down with any certainty its place in history.

The vocals seem to give an obvious nod to the plaintive vocals of Marc Almond adding to the stark beauty and forming the focal point of the record. The often minimal instrumentation beneath would be lost without such a striking sound to rally around so rather than this descending into some sort of ambient late night chill out it is driven to become a memorable and forthright blend of retro-pop and ultra cool contemporary dance culture.

Since the release of his debut e.p. Welcome to The Wildside, Wolf Colony has garnered an international following and this first full-length album will do nothing to lessen that wave of interest.