Wolf & Key are a post rock band from northern New Jersey. Currently they have released two singles “Drift” and “Great Void”, while they work towards their upcoming album. Full of both enormous emotional gravitas, but also of profoundly beautiful imagery, the singles are truly exceptional post-rock representations. Full of richly timbered, ambient guitars and epically crushing soundscapes, the band captures the weight and the kind of dramatic flair fans have come to expect of this genre. The evocation of emotions serves to set the tone for these tracks as a whole.
Influenced by bands such as This Will Destroy You, Caspian, Explosions in the Sky, Thornwood, and Currents, Wolf & Key are able to distil what makes their contemporaries tick and turn it into something entirely their own. They find themselves as vital as ever, on “Great Void”, capturing the crunchy yet sleek production with an intense dose of post-rock magic, in a track that’s dense and offers little by way of respite.
Bone crushing guitars motifs drive the rhythm, shifting the aggression from one drum crescendo to another. All the while, Wolf & Key have a tight handle on what they do. While practically all music fans enjoy getting lost in lyrics and having an anchor to hold close to their heart, it takes even a deeper love to grow close to strictly instrumental compositions. However, Wolf & Key are able to paint a vivid image without saying a single word on “Great Void”.
In fact you’ll probably will want to listen to the song again and again. Why? Well, there are numerous elements and layers within the song that you are guaranteed to love and stay focused on. The contrast between different elements here is well-played and well-balanced, overall, the sweeping high energy flow of the track exceeds any expectations.
Post-rock is definitely one of the most diverse music genres that provide almost endless possibilities. It can be heavy and dark or extremely melancholic and ambient, allowing bands not only to explore new sound landscapes but also to express emotions in different ways in their music. On “Drift”, Wolf & Key switch their template to perfectly blend the infamous soft-loud aesthetics of post-rock.
Wolf & Key have an inexhaustible source of ideas and energy, as they challenge themselves and push the boundaries of the whole genre in general. More than the interesting combination of melancholic guitars in the opening, heavy, driving percussion create a restless atmosphere that will swallow you in on “Drift”. The incredible way the guitar ambiance soars, truly sounds spectacular, and adds an extra amount of depth.
The guitars kick in through several outbursts, especially during the latter half where they create powerful washes of effects-soaked walls of distortion, until lovely jangling clean guitars gorgeously put things to an end. Like the previous track, “Drift” showcases all of the band’s best qualities, while providing a significant amount of emotional engagement. All of the fantastic qualities mentioned here, carry throughout both “Drift” and “Great Void”, remaining surprisingly consistent.
Every once in a while, a band like Wolf & Key comes along, proving just how much creativity and imagination post-rock requires, and how breathtaking the results can be when’s it’s done right. Their songs are crammed with atmospherics, tension, and melodrama. A simple twist of the volume knob on your player, will reveal the massive walls of sound that are capable of melting your eardrums at high levels.
Connect with Wolf & Key on INSTAGRAM, and stream their music on SPOTIFY
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