Altsounds - Noisettes - What's the Time Mr. Wolf? [Album]

I love picking up music without knowing anything about it until I put it in my player. If the cover of a disc itself gives up little information – and some covers are utterly enigmatic – I have no idea what I’m going to get. I really enjoy this process and I pick stuff up with no preconceived notions and simply listen. Occasionally I get a total loser. Usually, there is one or maybe two good tracks (the first and last tracks are often the best ones). Sometimes, however, I get an unexpectedly great disc from end to end.

That is exactly what happened to me this weekend when I picked up Noisettes debut release, ‘What’s the Time, Mr. Wolf?’. The cover at least gives you a good look at the band, a funky-looking trio – a black woman and a couple of dudes, all in their flamboyant hipster rock-star dress code – climbing out of a plastic or maybe paper mache mouth. Could be interesting or entirely forgettable.

What a pleasant surprise! Overall, Noisettes sound has on old school rock / post-punk feel, but it is approached with a raw creativity and honesty that reminds me of The White Stripes without sounding too much like them. The music is inventive and strong, veering from melodic to raunchy. What really grabbed me was the energy. From beginning to end, this album sizzles with enthusiasm and a fresh artistic joy. Even the ballads simmer just below the surface and occasionally do seem to leap from their seats and dance for a moment or two. 'What's The Time Mr.Wolf?' peaked at #75 in the British charts after its release and had a couple of tracks picked up for commercial use on TV.

I really did like this entire album, but if you want to listen to 4 of the highlights, check out these.

Cannot Even (Break Free) – The lead vocals, provided by bassist Shingai Shoniwa, and the accompanying instrumentation are light and pretty in the verses, but they build to a raunchy and powerful chorus each time. Shoniwa’s vocal performance is ballsy.
The Count of Monte Cristo – I love the inventive vocal melody and interesting lyrics. Even when they’re just bouncing along and she sings scat in front of them it’s engaging.
Don’t Give Up – This is an old school rocker with a somewhat familiar guitar riff, but Shoniwa gives a vocal performance as fresh as if they invented this form.
Scratch Your Name– “Scratch your name into the fabric of this world before you go.” You can hear the desire to be more, to prove ones self. This is a song by a hungry young band. If this song sounds familiar, you may have heard it in the final episode of The Sopranos in 2007. Watch the video. They not only have a great sound, but a great look.

Noisettes released their sophomore effort, 'Wild Young Hearts' in April of 2009. I haven’t heard this yet, but on the strength of their debut, I’m going to purchase this one. I have high hopes.