Vessels - Wolf & Cub

Generally favorable reviews - based on 13 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 13
  2. Negative: 0 out of 13
  1. 90
    A fierce vision quest of psychedelic riffs 'n' roll that manages to sound like hard rock, shoegazer and new rave all within the same song, yet never feeling forced or false. [Mar 2007, p.98]
  2. Whilst it might not reinvent the wheel, Vessels is a rewarding slice of indie rock with a pleasing amount of dark psycadelic twist.
  3. 72
    Wolf & Cub manage to fill Vessels to the brim with irreverent guitar solos, pounding bass lines, and, well, let's just say they have two drummers for a good reason. [#24, p.102]
  4. A fetching blend of noise, melody, and swagger. [#17, p.88]
  5. 70
    If the Valentines' inspired drone-rock of "Hammond" suggests a more stoned Spiritualized, their commercial future will depend on refining relentless glam-stomps "This Mess" and "Steal Their Gold." [May 2007, p.115]
  6. 70
    In lieu of dynamics, [bassist Thomas] Mayhew's pull-out method keeps the album engaging. [Mar 2007, p.99]
  7. All said, the album’s capably produced by Tony Doogan, Secret Machines aspirations and all, and it’s a debut wrapped in sophomore expansion, a third of a universe away from anything deservedly cosmic and anything appropriately full.
  8. In the end, Vessels comes across as a promising guitar-driven breath of fresh air trapped in a box of squeaky-clean studio tricks; what was hopeful is now hopeless, and what seemed like an exciting rock revival is simply a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
  9. 60
    Many songs start out as radio-friendly rockets before shooting off into a disorienting psychedelic haze. [May 2007, p.106]
  10. [It] mines a similar seam of hard rock to that pursued by countrymen Wolfmother, only without so many Black Sabbath influences. [May 2007, p.129]
  11. That the songs are essentially interchangeable 8-cylinder rawk is one thing; that they begin to clearly resemble the long-forgotten, acid-coated Eastern-revivalists Kula Shaker is something more distressing altogether.
  12. There's plenty to miss here if you make the easy, been-there, heard-that dismissals, even if it's still mostly just stoner rock.

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