Wolftrap - “Angeline”
Photo by Charlie Weinmann
With hints of rock ‘n’ roll and one hell of a solid groove, you will find it hard not to love “Angeline,” the new one from LA-based Wolftrap.
The song begins with warm, retro sounding acoustic fingerpicking that weaves an ascending melody. This quickly breaks into a tight drum pattern that gorgeously shuffles with a determined rock ‘n’ roll cadence. This is reinforced by the bass guitar, which offers a solid foundation gluing the groove together. As the drum and bass groove tightly locks into place, the song oozes a sense of melancholy through the use of contemplative, howling sound-scaping, which is heightened by the moody electric guitar lines that elegantly riff over the top. These tones, again, reinforce the vintage feel to this track.
One of the notable features to “Angeline” is the energy of the track. The rhythm has a wonderful ebb and flow, continually changing or taking brief moments of pause so that focus can be drawn to the lyrics. Over the chorus sections, this groove becomes full of intense energy as it stomps behind the vocal, providing a sense of intensity and passion. These changes are always brief and we are quickly led back to that solid, relentless groove. As the song reaches its crescendo, an electric guitar solo heightens the sense of urgency and intensity that permeates this track. The tones give the song a lush, raw edge, with plenty of grit and attitude.
The exquisite harmonies between the male and female vocals are one of the most alluring features. They rise lightly over the composition, providing passion and emotion, as well as heightening the sense of melancholy. Wolftrap describe the song’s lyrical meaning: “I wrote the song when I was losing my mind over a complicated relationship that felt meant to be but kept getting derailed.”
Wolftrap truly guides us on a musical whirlwind with “Angeline.” Full of passion, emotion, and texture, this one is not to be missed. “Angeline” is the third song taken from their forthcoming debut EP, The Good Side.
-John Michie