Wolfkin Brand New Pants by: Liam Tracey Tue:01-Apr-08 Label: Crunchy Frog Year: 2008 WB rating 81 out of 100

Wolfkin’s Brand New Pants might be scheduled for a 2008 release here in Australia, but truth be known the record is in fact two years old already, having been released in Europe in 2006. Still it will be news to the vast majority and the fact that Wolfkin’s efforts here are substantially detailed and entertaining makes such news excitingly worthy.

Brand New Pants is an amalgamation of Denmark duo’s Wolfkin’s influences fashioned with their own quirky and very much original take on the rock genre. The record’s lacklustre name and glossy synth opening, ‘These are all Illusions’ may not suggest this, but despite initial impressions Brand New Pants is essentially a guitar and percussion piece; one with a foot in both the past and the present.

The similarities between Wolfkin and their influences are immediately apparent with vocal arrangements and harmonies closely resembling the likes of the Beatles, synthesizer matching that of Blondie and even guitar hooks jibing with those of The Smiths. Deeper, David Bowie-esque vocals also creep in amidst the electronics for a varied vocal approach. However, despite there being one or two moments where you’d think the vocals of the Beatles and instrumentation of Blondie had simply been mashed together, the addition of significant electronic elements separates these Danes.

Another significant ‘innovation’ on Brand New Pants is the quirkiness of Wolfkin’s lyricism and musical arrangements. Photographs of the pair would impose a rather serious look, but this is simply a ruse for the subtlety of their humour. The content ranges from crude “semen in those brand new pants” jokes (in ‘Brand New Pants’) to the frat boy religious statements of ‘Island of Surprise’: “Jesus is my Saviour/Jesus is my guy/Jesus is in my house”. In regards to sampling, penitentiary sirens, barking dogs and random Spanish speech further Wolfkin’s quirkiness, whilst by no means distracting from the heart of the music.

Brand New Pants is an adventurous and very clever album. Whether by choice or not, Wolfkin’s crafting of this album has targeted it at a seemingly smaller audience – those who enjoy rock, synth and electronic instrumentations as well as having a rather left of centre humour. Don’t be put off though, there’s enough on the surface for the more centred folk to enjoy as well; something which thankfully steers the album away from straight absurdity towards a left-of-centre eccentricity, which is a pleasant thing.