Lone Wolf are a four-piece from Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Formed by ex-members of Accelerators, The Apers and The Bat Bites in 2017, Lone Wolf play catchy, melodic punk rock with underlying elements of garage and indie rock. Just a year ago the band released their debut self-titled album and on the 5th of October this year Lone Wolf released its follow-up.
I discovered Lone Wolf when I spotted the wolf artwork of their first album in All Ages Records in Camden some time either late last year or early this year. Wolves are one of my favourite animals so I was immediately drawn to it and, although I wasn’t brave enough to literally buy the album based on the artwork, I did go home at look up the band. I really liked what I heard and have been looking forward to checking out the band’s second album. Titled Together Alone, the 12-track album is out now on Stardumb Records (as well as being available on CD in Japan thanks to Waterslide Records). Here’s what I thought of it…
Together Alone kicks off with Can’t Stop You Anyway. It’s pleasantly mid-tempo with melodic guitars and from drums from the outset – a good example of the Lone Wolf sound if this is your first time hearing them. A major draw of the song is the exchanging of vocals between guitarist Merel and bassist Ox, along with a damn catchy and repetitive chorus – ‘But we can’t stop you anyway, we can’t stop you anyway.’ The song is about not being able to deter someone from something because they won’t listen to your point of view – and you’ll simply be ‘fighting fire with fire’. Runaway is next up. Things are a bit slower here but some big sounding opening riffage – not too dissimilar to The Menzingers – immediately grabs your attention. The pace slows further when vocals come in and Merel proceeds to sing of running away, with a special someone, to escape from everything else. Runaway is a carefree and fun tune, particularly when the pace picks up a little for another super catchy chorus. I think they key is in its seeming simplicity. Runaway may have seemed carefree but the next song certainly isn’t. There’s venom in Ox’s vocals and an air of anger in Something To Destroy. It’s a relatively upbeat song, musically, about wanting to release negative and angry feelings – and what better release than in the form of punk rock. The rhythm section, in particular, shines through with heavy drums and a chunky bass line throughout. There’s also some of those classic punk rock whoa-oh-whoa-ohs – what’s not to like?
Heartbeat is the fourth song on Together Alone. It has a melodic indie style and feels almost dreamlike – perhaps due to its nostalgic subject matter. Heartbeat is a song about missing someone but also growing up and, in some ways, moving on. There’s a sense of nostalgia for summer’s gone by and the people you spent those summers with. ‘Summer’s come, summer’s passed, It’s been weeks now since you left, I’m still here all alone, Still have the pictures on my phone.’ There’s a great contrast between the end of Heartbeat the next track. Don’t Know How opens slowly with muted, distorted vocals and just some simple strums of a guitar. Of course, the pace and volume soon picks up when the rest of the band comes in and the vocals gradually become cleaner in sound. There’s a distinct sense of negative feelings in this song, but I find it’s these sort of songs that I connect with the most – it’s just so honest and down to earth. ‘I don’t know how to make this right, I’m better off on my own’. The mixture of palm-muted guitars in the verses and more super melodic and catchy guitar work in the chorus, plus Merel and Ox singing at the same time, is just great. The sixth song comes in the form of Tearing Me Apart, a head-nodder of a tune that bobs along at a decent not-too-fast rate. The song is about having so much to do but oh so little time and feeling like you’re wasting the time you do have – I know the feeling. Featuring a nice, big guitar solo before a bridge section of ‘It’s tearing me apart’ that builds and builds and is begging to be sung along to, Tearing Me Apart seems like it would be particularly great played live.
The album’s title track, Together Alone, aptly comes as what would be the first track Side B of the record. Lone Wolf waste no time in getting going with this one. It’s upbeat, one of the faster songs on the album, and punchy from the very start – a real highlight of the album in my opinion. This is another song where the rhythm section really stands out. With similar themes to Runaway, Together Alone is sort of about getting away or, well actually, going back to your hometown. There’s a lot of songs in punk rock about wanting to get out of your hometown so it’s nice to hear a song that expresses fondness for ones home instead. Waiting On The Other Side has a, by comparison, slightly slower pace but it is certainly no less melodic. This is a song about finding yourself in a familiar situation over and over again even though you know you need to step away from that situation – or a person (‘I don’t want to be your friend no longer anymore’). It feels like saying goodbye to someone, as well as perhaps a part of yourself. I’ve used the word catchy a lot already in this review but the fast paced chorus here is one of the most infectious of the album – ‘Yeah I’ll be waiting, Yeah I’ll be waiting, I’ll be waiting on the other side.’ It’s just a great example of Lone Wolf doing what they do best and I definitely think this song could be their next single. With a slightly slower pace and a somewhat lengthier intro, Into The Unknown sets itself up for big things. It was the lyrics that really connected with me on this song rather than the [catchy] melodies. The song is about wondering where time has gone and if you’re doing the right things in life to be happy – would you be happier if you quit your job and did something else or would it be silly to quit your job at this point in your life? There’s a theme of dealing with anxiety which will be relatable for many listeners, myself included. ‘Should I worry more? Or do I worry far too much? I hear demons in my head, I can’t make it stop.’ After a melodic interlude in the middle of the song there’s a somewhat dark, emotional section about how sometimes you ‘should reach out into the unknown’ because it might turn out for the best. Such brilliant songwriting.
City Lights features yet more infectious riffs, particularly the bass line which stands out alongside Merel’s vocals in the first verse. The song is about trying to clear your head outside and away from everything and everybody – viewing the city lights. I’m imagining a scene in my head with the narrator sitting on a hilltop on the outskirts of a city, just looking down at all the lights. It’s always nice to invent the music video for a song in your own head! City Lights’ bridge is just the best and ends the song on a more positive note – ‘I know that the sun will shine again, Someday.’ Another line that would be awesome to sing along to in a live setting. The penultimate song comes in the form of Everything Stays The Same. With an upbeat tempo and overlaid guitar riffs, we seem set to speed our way to the album’s end. Everything Stays The Same is about how you can sometimes be oblivious to what’s in front of you. Merel sings of having a difference of opinion or feeling differently to someone else – one person has moved on and the other hasn’t. ‘I know that it’s already too late, All you ever wanted was everything to change, I know that it’s already too late, All I ever wanted was everything to stay the same.’ Complete with a sweet guitar solo that showcases a more technical side to Lone Wolf’s sound, the track feels quite apt for this point on the album as it brings us into the closing track. Together Alone closes with Without You and an extended intro seems to suggest that the band mean to end things in style. The dual vocals that we loved so much earlier on in the album are apparent from the outset here alongside palm muted guitars. This allows the focus to be completely on vocals which feel firm and decisive, really holding your attention and making you believe every word (‘Without you I’d be much better off.’ – not actually directed at the listener, of course). As the song, and the album, draws to a close there’s more repetition to really drive the message home. This band sure does like repetition but it certainly works and is one of the things I love about Lone Wolf. It worked for the Ramones, it works for Lone Wolf.
Lone Wolf have done it again and delivered a brilliant album packed with infectiously catchy and melodic tunes with highly relatable subject matter. You’ll be humming and singing along to this album in no time at all. I mentioned The Menzingers early on in this review and I know the comparison has been made before but it’s worth noting that I instantly enjoyed Together Alone more than The Menzingers’ latest album! So, what are you waiting for? Check out Together Alone by Lone Wolf now!
This review was written by Emma Prew.
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