Review:

on 2013-01-08 nlathy Said:

Lone Wolf is the pseudonym for Paul Marshall. This is his second album.
My knee jerk reaction to this music is Marshall needs to speed it up a little bit. With this concern in place, "The Swan of Meander" doesn't seem to be an ideal song title.
But the singer/songwriter genre has made advances since the days of James Taylor. And this music is in a rock and roll framework.
What makes this album work for me are the vocals. On the above mentioned track he does emote without sounding forced. And the tempo does change, and the music does create a dreamy quality without venturing into muzak.
"Ghosts of Holloway" is a successful track. He can sure hold a note. Love can be a scary thing. Past relationships can stay in someone's psyche. This could be done with more humor.
But maybe hooks are more important. The best track is "Good Life." This is where the backing vocals add something to the song. And make it memorable--not Beatles Rubber Soul memorable, but still pretty good stuff.
"Butterfly" is an intriguing song, where the eerie quality of the music draws you in for the early part even when it doesn't seem particularly catchy, and it provides a good prelude to when the music builds. The variety within the track shows an artist developing a unique craft.
The title track has Marshall lying awake thinking about his love life. This might seem like a good means of sleep deprivation, but he's a man with weighty thoughts. He doesn't let the music turn into a tearfest.
On "Spies in My Heart" it seems clear these are thoughts worth pursuing even if the resulting relationship doesn't match ones ideals.
Rating: 8/10