Classic rockers DeWOLFF are back with a new album titled “Muscle Shoals” where they express their love for the genre like the band never did before. Put it down to the fact that it was recorded at the world-famous FAME and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio – as used by Cher, The Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, etc – but DeWolff’s new LP comes filled with ghosts from rock ’n’ soul’s illustrious past.
When an album feels less like a product of its time and more like an echo of a bygone era, you know you’re in for something special. This collection of tracks isn’t just timeless; it’s unhurried, deeply rooted in soul, rock, and blues traditions, and unapologetically organic in its construction. It resists the immediacy demanded by today’s Spotify culture, instead creeping up on you like a late-night jam that refuses to fade.
Take “In Love,” for instance. It opens with a crunching guitar riff, grounded in something imperceptible that feels like it flowed straight from the Muscle Shoals waters. The harmonies could have been plucked from any point in the last fifty years. It’s a blend of soul and rock that charms even if the genre isn’t your first love.
Similarly, “Natural Woman” exudes warmth, with a magnificent organ leading the charge, and it’s impossible not to appreciate the rock-tinged soul that pours out.
The slower cuts are no less impactful. “Let’s Stay Together” is serene to the point of being horizontal—pure, effortless beauty. Meanwhile, the jam “Snowbird” feels destined to become a live-set staple, with the band inching closer to a full-on jam band ethos. “Ships in the Night” is so gentle, its tenderness simply washes over you, and “Cicada Serenade” closes things out with a loveliness that lingers long after the final notes fade.
That’s not to say the album lacks energy. “Out on the Town” swirls like it just woke up from Woodstock, its vibe carefree yet commanding. “Ophelia” strikes a perfect balance between raw power and melody, its mighty guitar solo a standout. And then there’s “Truce,” a track that feels like the Black Crowes jamming on “Burning Love,” complete with a sax solo that injects pure joy into the mix.
This album doesn’t just sound timeless; it refuses to bow to the frantic pace of the modern music world. It’s as if the band has captured the spirit of another era, offering a meditative escape into soulful, rootsy rock that feels as refreshing as it is enduring.
Whether you’re in the mood to sway, reflect, or simply let the music wash over you, this record offers something for everyone. When they went to Muscle Shoals to record “Muscle Shoals”, I’d wager this is exactly what they had in mind.
Highly Recommended
Tracklist:
1.In Love 03:12
2.Natural Woman 03:05
3.Out On The Town
4.Let's Stay Together
5.Ophelia
6.Truce
7.Hard To Make A Buck
8.Book of Life
9.Winner (When it Comes to Losing)
10.Fools & Horses
11.Snowbird
12.Ships In The Night
13.Cicada Serenade
Line Up:
Pablo van de Poel - Guitars, Vocals
Luka van de Poel - Drums, Vocals
Robin Piso - Hammond Organ, Vocals
DeWolff – Muscle Shoals (2024)
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