Lupine Howl Albums (2)
'The Bar at the End of the World'
Release Date 2/4/2003
Tracks 10
Label Beggars Banquet
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
After being dismissed from Spiritualized, the members of Lupine Howl obviously had a lot to prove. Their first post-sacking release didn't quite do the trick, basically reprising what they did in Spiritualized but with weaker material. The group adopts a slightly different tactic here, and while the album starts with a big blast of glam, the rest of the songs here are much more gentle and easygoing. That doesn't mean they're anything new; on the contrary, most of the album recalls another time, whether that's the early days of guitar-driven rock or even something as recent as the first Oasis album. The real problem is that Lupine Howl doesn't really do enough here to distinguish itself from other bands, drawing from such obvious influences as the Rolling Stones and the Doors, and in a lot of ways the album sounds like a tour of '90s retro-influenced bands like the Charlatans, Oasis, or even the Black Crowes. While the string section definitely gives the album some texture beyond the first album's layered guitar onslaught, and while there are certainly some fine lyrical moments every so often, like the capper to the Stonesy "Don't Lose Your Head ("We all do things we hate to get things we don't need"), it's still not quite enough. Considering where these guys came from and what they're capable of, there's still an excellent album in them, but this one isn't quite it, yet. ~ Sean Carruthers, All Music Guide
'The Carnivorous Lunar Activities of Lupine Howl'
Release Date 1/1/2001
Tracks 9
Label Beggars Banquet
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
It may take a while for the members of Lupine Howl to escape the long shadow cast by their previous, acclaimed band Spiritualized. Bassist Sean Cook and guitarist Mike Mooney (Damon Reece and John Mattock split percussion duties) don't seem to be too concerned, since their full-length debut and preceding EP continue on much of the same paths that Spiritualized carved with Pure Phase and Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space. In fact, Sean Cook's vocals are often a dead ringer for Spiritualized's main man Jason Pierce. The driving blues-rock of "125" could have been taken from the Spiritualized mold as well. Lupine Howl does give the band more freedom than they previously had, as they embrace electronic effects, synthesizers, neo-psychedelic guitar riffs, and Cook's trademark harmonica. It doesn't always result in quality songwriting, however, and that will make it more laborious to avoid the "ex-members" tag. ~ Kenyon Hopkin, All Music Guide
