Search - Patrick Wolf :: Wind in the Wires

One of the Best Albums Ever

L. George | NJ | 07/29/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Patrick Wolf is a musical prodigy, one that few people have ever really heard of. My friend told me about him and gave me his first cd "Lyncanthropy," a wonderful blend of modern sounds and beats (with a hint of acoustic) along with Wolf's beautiful, almost untamed voice. But this cd, "Wind in the Wires," is by all means better than the more experimental "Lyncanthropy." Wolf creates a completely independent sound than anyone, mixing well-performed instrumentals, modern sounds, and a more controlled voice than the previous cd. It's downright haunting and mezmorizing when you hear it, and the best part about it is that everything is so authentic. It's the perfect mix of the modern and the classic, and it creates something refreshing for a listener to hear. Many of the songs are more downbeat than Wolf's previous cd, yet he still satisfies you with captivating lyrics, simplicity, and songwriting ability.



Songs:



1. The Libertine- 5/5; A perfect introduction to the album, showing the listener how Wolf will mix the modern and classic throughout the cd.



2. Teignmouth- 5/5; The most haunting song on the album, Wolf creates more emotion in this song than any other he has written. The beats and voice carry the entire song into a realm of complete satisfaction. The piano only live version is even better.



3. The Shadowsea- 3/5; My least favorite song on the album, one of Wolf's short song's that I just skip over whenever I listen to the cd.



4. Wind in the Wires- 4.5/5; A great song with beautiful lyrics. This is a song that will make the listener think and a key song on the cd.



5. The Railway House- 4.5/5; A good song, fun to listen to, but not enough emotion for me. The end of it is good though.



6. The Gypsy King- 4.5/5; A good song vocally and instrumentally, but not one of my favorites on the album.



7. Apparition- 4/5; A completely instrumental song that serves its purpose and creates emotion with no vocals from Wolf.



8. Ghost Song- 4/5; A good song, but its kind of annoying the first few times you listen to it. It takes getting used to.



9. This Weather- 5/5; A great song that is the epitome of the album, mixing both the classic sounds of the piano and violin and new, modern beats towards the middle of the song.



10. Jacob's Ladder- 5/5; The best short song on the album. It's just fun to listen to.



11. Tristan- 5/5; A song that makes you want to get up and dance. A fun song that shows you Wolf has now forgotten about the unruly and untamed "Lyncanthropy."



12. Eulogy- 5/5; Another great short song. It creates more emotion than most regular length mainstream songs within 1 minute.



13. Land's End/The Towans- 5/5; A great finale and finish to the cd. Fun to listen to, but towards the end of the song, "The Towans" starts to play and creates the true emotion you want to hear at the end of a cd.



By the end, you will be captivated and awe-struck. Even if you don't love this type of music, I guarantee you cannot pass up a talent like Patrick Wolf and not like his beautiful cd "Wind in the Wires.""

"Such shadows are blossoming."

Diana Spindler-Jones | 01/26/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Let me qualify this review by disclosing that I had not heard of Patrick Wolf before I bought Wind in the Wires. I bought it because I needed something new, and Amazon recommended it when I bought PJ Harvey's White Chalk. First off, I'm not in the hip early-20s group anymore. I'm thirty-one, and I'm a working mom. I very much live in "America," though I still hold tight to my musical roots--PJ Harvey, Liz Phair, Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins, etc. At first, when I listened to this CD, I wasn't all that impressed. But his CDs get such good reviews across the board that I had to give it another chance. This CD is an acquired taste, to be sure, but it's worth it. He is a special talent. Speaking not as an expert by any means, I think that, on this album, he's a tad on the immature side. But when you consider that he was only 21 when he made this album, you have to stop and acknowledge that he shows a great deal of maturity for his age. His lyrics are poetic--his themes revolve around the meaning of life and a young man's eagerness to find love and to lose his innocence. This, of course, points to his awareness that he is young and cannot know things beyond his years--this, in itself, shows maturity. His music is somewhat derivative (Depeche Mode, Trent Reznor, PJ Harvey, and countless others can be heard), but so is everyone's, and he's doing his own thing with the influences that lie under the surface of his innate and impressive talent. On all of his CDs, but especially on this one, he creates a sort of continuous storm (a metaphor he likes to use) of strings, electronica, and visceral belting. I think another reviewer mentioned that Wolf's voice bothered her to begin with. I too felt his voice was a little overbearing, but once I relaxed into his music, I realized that his voice also conveys a precociousness. He's a lanky, extremely tall, boyish-looking guy with a bass, powerful voice. Yet another aspect that makes him interesting and unique. Overall, I think his music will mature as he does and it will become among the most original of his generation. The lyrics on "Teignmouth" and "Wind in the Wires," though perhaps a bit melodramatic to some, are quite moving and well rendered. Among the trash that's out there, Wind in the Wires shines like a gem. Please give it a listen."