DeWolff – Love, Death & In Between – Album Review

1st February 2023 1 By George Simpson

To say there’s a chilled-out seventies vibe on this album would be something of an understatement. Indeed, the new album by Dutch psychedelic rockers DeWolff perfectly captures the vibe of seeing a band in a smokey club. So much so, that you actually feel like you’ve been there by the end of Love, Death & In Between. It’s like an audio time machine, that captures a live ambiance more than any album I’ve heard in a long time.

Despite the band having formed in 2007 and released numerous albums since then, this is the first time I’ve come across them. But it is, however, an enjoyable first date as it were, with more to come. Their mix of rock, soul, gospel, and blues sounds so authentic that it’s hard to believe you’re listening to a 2023 album release and not a classic reissue. For example, it has clearly been largely recorded live in the studio, such is the atmospheric nature of the sound.

A James Brownesque voice heralds the arrival of the glorious retro rocker Night Train to open the album. The combination of Organ, and backing singers immediately set the vibe for the whole album. It sounds like the work of seasoned veterans, not the relatively young trio of brothers Luka and Pablo Van De Poel, and Robin Piso, augmented by a horn section, and gospel singers.

They follow that up with Heart Stopping Kinda Show, which sounds like something that Exile On Main Street era Rolling Stones forgot to write. It’s a cracking song, probably my favorite song here, though it’s pushed hard for this honor by the 16-minute Rosita. Don’t let the length of the song put you off, it doesn’t drag in the slightest. Indeed, you just sit back and listen to a band thoroughly enjoying themselves. As a result, I bet this track will be something else live, it has the feel of a song that has grown and grown during rehearsals. It certainly has the potential to grow further, and be a truly great showstopper once played live a few times.

If there’s one criticism I could level at this album, however, it would be that the rest of the album seems to rely too much on more laid-back, blues and soul tracks. But, that’s not say they’re not good songs. You just start to yearn for something akin to the opening duo’s pace and urgency again at times. The likes of Will O The Wisp, Mr.Garbage Man, and Gilded (Ruin Of Love) all capture a warm, organic sound perfectly. If you were sat in a blues bar listening to them, you’d be in heaven.

Later in the album, there are a couple of tracks that pick up the pace a bit. The catchy Wontcha Wontcha with its catchy chorus sticks nicely in the brain after you hear it. Similarly, so does Counterfeit Love, with its mix of slide guitar and Hammond Organ. Finally, the album ends with laid-back bluesy Queen Of Space & Time, which does feel like one of these sort of tracks too many by this point.

In spite of these little criticisms, this is a pretty good album. I’d really like to hear these songs played live at some point. You can certainly tell that this is band that will come alive on stage, and there is a lot of potentials for these songs to develop further once they have been road tested for a while. I’m very glad I’ve finally found this band, and look forward to more from them.

Score: 7/10

Tracklisting: