DeWolff – Muscle Shoals – Album Review

I Picked up on DeWolff when I was sent a promo when I worked on local radio. Since then I’ve followed their progress and tracked the quality of their releases.

This latest album ‘Muscle Shoals’ is a 13-track ensemble that bites right back at you with a style that peals you back and forward from the vibes of the late ”60s/’70s to the guitar rock of the present day.

It’s their 10th album and was recorded between the legendary FAME and  Muscle Shoals Studios, Alabama, so quite rightly why not take that as your album title?

Album opener ‘In Love’ brightens your day right from the start, with an upbeat vibe and cheery keys/guitars.

So who are the band?  Formed when teenagers in Geleen, Netherlands, by  Pablo van de Poel on Guitar/Vocals, Luka van de Poet on Drums/Vocals, and Robin Piso on Hammond/Wurlitzer, they’ve carved a great reputation around Europe in particular. Done the road work and released some mighty fine records (check out their now extensive back catalog).

‘Natural Woman’ would fit into a toe-tapping gathering at a dark and misty jazz/rock fusion club, great guitar tone, quite rightly shared as a single.

There’s something very special of the Hammond organ sound that opens up on ‘Out On The Town’, a definite early Purple vibe here which is no bad thing.

‘Lets Stay Together’ is a slower tempo, ballad-like in parts, and exceptional atmospheric vocals from Pablo forming a pretty cool track.

Pure power brings you into ‘Ophelia’, mix and match the Hammond quality of Robin with that awesome guitar tone from Pablo. Has almost an early Indigenous US backing vocal to it.

I’m struggling to button-hole Pablo’s voice into a particular genre, he has a bit of Tyler, Elvis, Plant and all three come through on ’Truce’, for me one of the best tracks on the album with a bit of woodwind instrumentation in there to support the guitar.

Another album favorite ‘Hard To Make A Buck’ kind of illustrates the challenge of doing well financially in the music industry. Sadly hard work doesn’t always make financial success, but keep doing what you’re doing guys and I’m sure that the monetary success will come to you.

‘Book Of Life’ slots you in with a lovely clean keyboard melody with well-placed percussion. Gradually speeds up and that pure keyboard morphs into characteristic Hammond tone. It’s a mixed genre track this one, it has blues, jazz, and early 70’s charisma all in one, quality.

The steady beat and swaying vibe of ‘Winner (When it Comes to Losing)’ gets you’re head bopping and this continues into the guitar focus of ‘Fools & Horses’. They are musically diverse tracks but give you that same vibe and let you know that these guys are on top of their game.

‘Snowbird’ is one of the slowest on ‘Muscle Shoals’, gets the pace built up in the middle then Pablo lets rip with an awesome long solo, and the Hammond from Robin takes you out. This is my favorite track on the album.

The last fully musical track is ‘Ships In The Night’ which continues all that great musicianship I’ve described in the other tracks, sublime.

‘Cicada Serenade’ closes the album with, well you’ve guessed with what from the track name.

‘Out On The Town’, ‘Let’s Stay Together’, ‘Hard To Make A Buck’, ‘Book Of Life’, ‘Truce’ and ‘Snowbird’are all my top picks from the album with the latter being my favorite.

These guys are hitting the road on album release day which takes them across the UK and Europe until May 2025 (details below), get out there and see them and of course, buy this album as well!

Score 8.5/10

Track List

1. In Love
2. Natural Woman
3. Out On The Town
4. Let’s Stay Together
5. Ophelia
6. Truce
7. Hard to Make A Buck
8. Book of Life
9. Winner (When It Comes to Losing)
10. Fools & Horses
11. Snowbird
12. Ships in the Night
13. Cicada Serenade

Label –Mascot/Provogue
Release – 6th December 2024

For all; things DeWolff, click HERE and to purchase the album, click HERE

Tour dates
DEC 07: NL – Utrecht, DEWOLFFEST 2 – Album release
DEC 12: SE – Malmo, Babel
DEC 13: SE – Gothenburg, Valand
DEC 14: SE – Uppsala, Katalin
DEC 15: SE – Stockholm, Debaser
JAN 03: NL – Alkmaar, Victorie
JAN 04: NL – Groningen, Oosterpoort
JAN 10: NL – Rotterdam, Maassilo
JAN 11: NL – Nijmegen, Doornroosje
JAN 24: NL – Eindhoven, Effenaar
JAN 25: NL – Maastricht, Muziekgieterij
JAN 30: NL – Amsterdam, Concertgebouw
FEB 01: BE – Antwerpen, Trix
FEB 06: FR – Paris, Trabendo
FEB 07: FR – Laval, 6PAR4
FEB 08: FR – La Roche sur Yon, Quai M
FEB 09: FR – Bordeaux, Le Rocher Club
FEB 11: ES – Barcelona, La[2] de Apolo
FEB 12: ES – Zaragoza, Las Armas
FEB 13: ES – Madrid, Sala BUT
FEB 14: ES – Bilbao, Santana 27
FEB 25: DE – Berlin, Hole 44
FEB 26: DE – Dresden, Beatpol
FEB 27: DE – Munich, Backstage
FEB 28: AT – Innsbruck, PMK
MAR 01: CH – Zurich, Mascotte
MAR 02: IT – Milan, Santeria
MAR 08: NL – Steenwijk, De Meenthe
APR 12: UK – Glasgow, Stereo
APR 13: UK – Manchester, Deaf Institute
APR 15: UK – Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
APR 16: UK – Bristol, The Fleece
APR 17: UK – Oxford, O2 Academy
APR 18: UK – London, Garage
MAY 14: DE – Stuttgart, Im Wizemann
MAY 15: DE – Frankfurt, Das Bett
MAY 16: DE – Cologne, Kantine
MAY 17: DE – Münster, Sputnikhalle
MAY 18: DE – Hamburg, Übel & Gefährlich