17 May 2022

Artist: WOLF VAN WYMEERSCH
Who: The maestro of Belgian post-punk
crusaders Elefant and the guitarist of former
power-pop rockers The Van Jets

Debut album: THE EARLY EARS
Released: 6 May 2022 – Buy here

Wolf: “It has become a retrospective record with songs that muse about childhood,
love or life or songs that were effectively written in my youth. In terms of sound, it is a combination of acoustic, electric and electronic sounds.”

References: The Beatles ‘Revolver’, Blonde Redhead ‘Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons’, Goldfrapp ‘Tales of Us’, Armand ‘Een Beetje Vriendelijkheid’, The Good, The Bad & The Queen ‘The Good, The Bad & The Queen’, Portishead ‘Third’, Radiohead.

(photo by Julian Hills)

Turn Up The Volume: I want to add Damon Albarn (with his solo records) to the aforementioned references. At times I thought he was a guest singer on Vanwymeersch‘s debut longplayer. Check Drama I, Who Can Tell, I’m Wide Awake and you’ll find out why.

Vanwymeersh also, like Albarn, is a song architect. All lullabies, reveries, and tunes at play here please your ears instantly. But with every listen you discover how rich and subtly layered the musical arrangements and feel-good orchestrations (hear that playful banjo sound on Part Of Me ) are. Then again he invites you into his sonic labyrinth where he
goes left, right, and back in one and the same song (When You’re Old And Grey And Full
Of Sleep / Fall From Grace).

The easy-listing construction of his classy compositions transfers you to a place where reality fades away and makes room for melancholic memories. As I said before (several times) Wolf is a romantic at heart with a soul-stirring singer/songwriter gift (did I already mention, Father John Misty?) and a heartwarming voice. Magnific achievement.

Singles/clips: The Hog / On A Sunday Afternoon / Friendly Is Better

– THE HOG –

– ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON (IN EVERYDAY LIFE) –

– FRIENDLY IS BETTER –

Stream/buy The Early Years here…

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WOLF VANWYMEERSCH: Facebook – Spotify