There was a point where Wolfmother were thought of as the second coming of the classic 70’s rock that is so universally loved. Songs like Woman and The Joker and The Thief were hugely popular – quickly becoming a stalwart in soundtracks to films and adverts the world over. Since their debut album’s release in 2006, it seems as though the band have constantly been trying to ride its coattails, trying to emulate its sound and success – unfortunately, it’s not always successful.
Their fourth full length album starts with quite a bit of promise. Opening track The Love That You Give is probably one of the stronger moments on the album, with its driving riff making it instantly interesting and its vintage feel making it seem familiar – this song is as enjoyable as it is because it feels like something you already know. It has a similar feel to the songs that introduced us to Wolfmother ten years ago, and sets the album off with a lot of promise.
It’s around the middle of this album where it all starts to falter a little. Pretty Peggy sticks out for the wrong reasons – the album’s acoustic break seeming a little bit weird in amongst the rest of the songs. The riffs that Wolfmother rely so heavily upon start to become a little repetitive after a while, and it all starts becoming a little bit Bon Jovi in all of the wrong ways: less heavy, more cheesy, especially on songs like City Lights and Best of a Bad Situation.
The album does regain some of the momentum that it lost with Gypsy Caravan, which is droning and fuzzy and far more interesting than the entire mid-section of this album. There are very few moments on this album that are even slightly reminiscent of the energy and noise that Wolfmother had on their first album. Victorious, as an album, eventually starts to come across as lazy – it’s Wolfmother trying to copy the songs that made them successful as opposed to trying anything new. Where it does work – like on the title track or on Baroness – it lacks some of the urgency that there was on their debut album, but they at least come across as listenable. If anything, Victorious ultimately proves that trying to stick to the same formula isn’t always the best way forward.
5/10
For Fans Of: Them Crooked Vultures, Eagles of Death Metal
Standout Tracks: The Love That You Give, Baroness, Gypsy Caravan
Written By: Emily Laws
