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From The Strait – October 23, 2023

Brother Wolf – “Worthless Billionaire”

Country: US

Genre: Alt Rock

Words From the Artist/PR: Side B of the album takes a thought-provoking turn with ‘Worthless Billionaire,’ this first single released in the wake of Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter. This brilliant concept song immerses the listener in the mindset of an indifferent billionaire, callous to the destructive consequences of their greed on society. What sets this track apart is its darkly humorous and sinister delivery, akin to John D. Rockefeller crooning Radiohead’s ‘Creep.’ ‘Worthless Billionaire’ provides a stark commentary on the unchecked excesses of wealth and power, particularly poignant in a world grappling with the ramifications of such unbridled influence.

Brother Wolf – After Fear (Album Review) - Music Review World 10.13.2023

After Fear

A brooding pool of post-punk emotion and surrealist ideas portrayed through excellent musicianship.

Brother Wolf After Fear Album Review

Brother Wolf’s highly anticipated second album, After Fear, is a brooding pool of post-punk emotion and surrealist ideas portrayed through excellent musicianship.

A multi-instrumentalist hailing from Michigan, Brother Wolf’s new album After Fear offers a unique perspective on the turmoil and tumultuous times of the 2020s so far.

Even though it is a trademark sound when it comes to any kind of post-punk music, what’s striking about After Fear is its angst. Throughout the project, you can feel Brother Wolf’s unshakeable anxiety and moody sense of nihilism.

The first song “Wait” serves as a great opener and has one of my favourite instrumentals on the project. The whining tone from Brother Wolf and the enigmatic yet compelling lyrics feel very reminiscent of The Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan mixed with the weird modernism of Empire of the Sun.

The album then becomes even more fast-paced with “Owe It All To You” and “Meltdown Breakthrough”. “Owe It All To You” directly channels the post-punk side of the album with a roaringly fast-paced guitar that adds to the anxiousness in Brother Wolf’s lyrics and vocal delivery which climaxes with him repeating “I Owe It All To You” like a madman who had finally reached breaking point.

“Meltdown Breakthrough” has a fantastic electric guitar throughout the song, playing dystopian chords that shape the thematic atmosphere of the track. Brother Wolf’s husky voice alongside this instrumentation feels like strolling through a desolate wasteland, accepting the harrowing circumstances.

“Snakes” is quite different from all of the above-mentioned songs, as it takes a more synthetic and electric approach in its production. It is probably the most ambience-driven track on the album and even dissolves into repetitive whispers and drones at certain points in the song.

Although I appreciate how Brother Wolf tried to vary his production with this track, I don’t think its themes and stagnant song structure justify its six-minute running time. I feel like it could’ve been wrapped up quite nicely around the three to four-minute mark.

“Worthless Billionaire” is a brilliant concept song sung from the perspective of an uncaring billionaire who is oblivious to how his greed is destroying society. What makes the song so great is the sinister nature in which it is sung, in a funny yet dark way its like if Jeff Bezos sung Creep by Radiohead.

 “Recognising” and “Something Better” are the first skips on the album for me as both feel a little bit too messy and unorganized. If given a bit more time I feel like both songs could be fleshed out into something more engaging and cohesive.

However, I will say the lyrics of “Something Better” are interesting in how they involve American politics and false propaganda and how it can negatively impact people’s thinking.

The album’s closing track “Present” feels like a full circle moment back to the surrealistic atmosphere of the first song “Wait”. It also features fantastically atmospheric production that feels cinematic in its grandiose maximalist style.

I think this song also has Brother Wolf’s best singing, especially at the end where his screeching backing vocal bleeds pure hopeful emotion in a David Bowie-esque way.

Wolf sings of how staying in the “now” is the best way to maintain focus and drifting towards hypotheticals and false fantasies always ends up leading to a longer spiral.

Score/Excellent: After Fear is a project that thrives off of its theme and shines in terms of cohesion and continuity. For those who like moody post-punk and challenging political commentary. After Fear will be a treat.

[I rank the album on a scale of: Poor, Mediocre, Good, Excellent, Outstanding]

TRAVERSE CITY — Benjamin Hunter doesn’t shy away from the tough topics or pertinent issues; instead, he promotes anti-racism, societal healing, and taking positive action through his lyrical and melodic rock with inspiration drawn from greats like David Bowie, Thurston Moore, and Josh Homme.

This Friday, Traverse City welcomes back the Michigan native and multifaceted creative Hunter and his musical persona Brother Wolf for a live performance at Little Fleet as part of the outdoor foodie venue’s Friday Live Music series.

A talented and versatile virtuoso in his own right, Grand Rapids-based Benjamin Hunter is a professor of Communication Studies, has published zines, and recorded, mixed, and mastered albums for dozens of bands and solo artists over the years, as well as fronted Michigan-based bands Head and Love Fossil.

In his newest solo undertaking as Brother Wolf, Hunter released an EP in 2019 — “Show Me Your Teeth” — followed by a 10-track album, “No Masters,” and has a fall 2023 release slated for his freshest compilation, “After Fear.”

With a healthy addiction to rock and roll, multi-instrumentalist Hunter creates sonic collages with layers of guitar, occasional horns, strings, and piano while also imbuing each track with theatrical and heartfelt vocals.

The Friday, July 28 performance at Little Fleet will be Brother Wolf’s first time playing for Traverse City, but Hunter is no stranger to the Grand Traverse Bay Region’s music scene.

“Over the last 20 years, my other projects, Head and Love Fossil, have performed in Traverse City,” said Hunter. “But this show is the first time performing in my hometown since before the pandemic, and this will be a first for Brother Wolf.”

Drawing from a David Bowie-coined phrase, “aesthetically promiscuous,” Hunter cites ‘70s glam, post-punk, noise rock, and golden era hip hop as his main musical influences, but he also has drawn influence from a solid group of individuals throughout his life.

“At home, I owe all my development to my dad, Paul Hunter, who always encouraged me to engage in the power of rock ‘n’ roll,” Hunter shared. “From piano lessons in elementary to getting my first drum set and guitar to selling merch at our shows in high school, I couldn’t ask for a cooler dad growing up — he means the world to me.”

Other influences include a “solid crew of big brothers and sisters in the scene,” such as Laura Jane Willcock of The Tightenups and her Traverse City bandmates Matt Becker, Kevin Gills, and Tim Callahan, who were supportive of Hunter and his high school band The Wheateaters, and Traverse City local Jay Harrington, “one of the nicest people and one hell of a bass player,” according to Hunter.

To be back performing in his hometown for the first time since 2019, Hunter can’t hold back his excitement and appreciation for Traverse City.

“The outpouring of support from fans in TC over the years has been really instrumental in the success of my previous projects,” said Hunter. “I would run into people from Traverse City at our shows in Grand Rapids and as far away as Seattle, San Francisco, and Austin. People from Traverse City, in my generation, have such a connection to alt-rock, or even more specifically post-punk, and I think it stems from growing up in skateboard culture situated in one of the most beautiful beach towns in America.”

And Hunter isn’t alone in his return to the gorgeous northern Michigan area; joining him are bandmates Matt Yonker (drums), Britt Yonker (bass), Justin Sharrow (guitars), and Jennifer Dodde (piano).

“This show is going to be such a great time,” said Dodde. “We’re all very excited to be heading to the beautiful Grand Traverse region.”

Brother Wolf is set to play on the patio at Little Fleet on Friday, July 28, from 6:30 to 10 p.m., along with Michigan-based sister duo Hail Your Highness. No cover charge. For more information about Brother Wolf, visit brotherwolf.love.

Alex Dailey is a freelance writer working in Northern Michigan. She can be reached at writing.dailey@gmail.com.