We are Wolves - Non-Stop Je Te Plie En Deux

Genre rock Publisher Fat Possum External Links Official Website Fat Possum

In an era where good rock music means that of bands like The Strokes and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - loud and wild, but always sticking to respected pop notions that keep listeners happy - We Are Wolves' debut Non-Stop Je Te Plie En Deux is a messy, noisy relief. Hailing from Montreal, Canada, this trio isn't afraid of being a little weird - they sing in English but use French for some titles and sometimes go by the French version of their name (Nous Sommes Loups) and their music is a confusing and oftentimes catchy intersection of standard pop rhythms and melodies, thumping dance-hall bass lines and punk-rock guitars with some yelling thrown in for good measure.

The album jumps around immensely, starting with a wail and then the pounding "Little Birds" to get your head a boppin'. The album grinds on with six minutes of "La Nature," which, like its namesake, is full of beauty and power but seems to lack a guiding force or uniting element. Then Wolves ease right into "Snare Me," which begins with enough harmony and simple drum rhythms that you can imagine it being played on the radio and sung along to by teenage girls, until the song spins into a feedback frenzy and you are forced to turn the volume down just a little. To confuse matters further, the next track is "Nama¯-Ta¯la-Cambodge (Go-Tabla-Go)," an almost new-age instrumental that breaks what rhythm the album was building.

Non-Stop Je Te Plie En Deux does smooth out towards the end with a nice back-to-back of "T.R.O.U.B.L.E," which shows the band's punk sensibilites in a charmingly orderly fashion, with tidy drum lines and simple lyrics, and "We are All Winners," which has a more electronica feel, but again, all the competing musical elements are kept in line, as is the songwriting. You can't argue with a tune that declares "We are all winners," with a bunch of people cheering in the background. The album closes with a minute and a half of the chill "Glazé, Blazé" bringing the listener slowly down, as if to suggest it's time to get off the dancefloor and drink some water. And maybe ring out your shirt.

All in all, the Wolves are wild, all over the map, and sometimes you just want to strangle them, except when they play something amazing -- there's no arguing that this album isn't full of bravery and guts. If they could clean up their messy bits a little and focus the songwriting a little more, these guys would be as tidy as the Strokes, and probably as popular too. But they certainly wouldn't be as much fun.