WIG WAM - review added 15th December 2009
Album Review: Non Stop Rock 'N' Roll (2010)
For fans of: Glam Rock... and bands growing up
Wig Wam are one of our favourite bands here at Rock Realms. Ever since we saw them on the Eurovision Song Contest back in 2005 we've loved them. Their first two studio albums - Hard To Be A Rock 'n' Roller and Wig Wamania - were brilliant, so we've got high expectations for Non Stop Rock 'N' Roll.
The band is made up of Åge Sten (Glam) Nilsen on vocals, Trond (Teeny) Holter on guitars, Bernt (Flash) Jansen on bass, and Øystein (Sporty) Andersen on drums. These are seriously talented guys with many strings to their highly decorative bows. Between them they've performed in numerous other bands and even fronted theatrical stage shows.
Non Stop Rock 'N' Roll is a change from what we're used to. Gone is a big slug of that over-the-top sound, and in its place is more of a smooth hard rocking vibe. Don't get me wrong, this remains Wig Wam through and through. They are still a glam rock band that would liven up any party you played 'em at, but there's a lot more depth exhibited here than they've ever shown before.
Opening track 'Do Ya Wanna Taste It' is the track they've chosen to release as a single, and it's arguably the one closest to their older style. It's a fun, lively song that I'm sure will do the business live. 'Walls Come Down' is upbeat too, but with a moodier underbelly. 'Wild One' is back into happy territory and again references the older style without ever copying it. It's a more distinguished take on the traditional Wig Wam insanity and works well.
'C’mon Everybody' is spunky, pleasantly cocksure and generally rather massive. It isn't stupidly flamboyant though, it just does what it does without resorting to unnecessary frippery. Whether that's what Wig Wam is all about I'm not sure, but it works nonetheless. 'Man In The Moon' is the album's first ballad. It's a fine, dreamy track with some excellent laid back musicianship and a charming leftfield persona.
'Still I’m Burning' is a real change of direction. It barely sounds like Wig Wam, although that's not to say it's bad. It's a fine hard rocking melodious track with a chilled yet urgent nature and a very measured vocal performance from, surprisingly, Teeny. In some ways it's out of place on a this release, yet its unusual nature ends up making it one of the most appealing songs. 'All You Wanted' is similarly unusual, although the return to Glam's singing means a return to the usual excess. Again it's a great track and clearly demonstrates a direction Wig Wam could explore further.
The title track comes up next. It's certainly a good effort, although perhaps not up with the album's best. The slow 'From Here' follows. Although it's a cute, sweet song it doesn't do a lot to excite. 'Rocket Through My Heart' is back to the typical big bang chorus this band are known for although, again, there's a veneer of maturity draped over the surface of the song. 'Chasing Rainbows' is a massively memorable song with another of the more unusual approaches. The part that really sticks in the mind is the epic children's choral take on the chorus. It's like a sing along segment in a concert held in a school. Good or not? I'll let you decide. Bonus track 'Gotta Get It On' is a fine close to the album and certainly deserves it's place alongside the other eleven entries.
I've listened to this album about 25 or 30 times so far and I'm still not 100% settled on what I think of it. It's excellent without doubt, but on balance I feel it's half a notch behind the other two albums. I think the reason is that this is a technically better release - it's more polished, more refined and smoother. For me, Wig Wam are a wild crazy band who sacrifice a small amount of perfection for bags of character. On Non Stop Rock 'N' Roll they've focused more on perfection, and by basically achieving it there's an indefinable spark missing.
Still, you can hardly moan at a band for being brilliant can you?. By normal measures this is a superb release and there isn't a duff track from start to finish. And...if you've found WIg Wam to be a bit much in the past, it might now be time to pay them another visit.
Check out... Their other two albums as comparison.
Track List:
01. Do Ya Wanna Taste It
02. Walls Come Down
03. Wild One
04. C’mon Everybody
05. Man In The Moon
06. Still I’m Burning
07. All You Wanted
08. Non Stop Rock And Roll
09. From Here
10. Rocket Through My Heart
11. Chasing Rainbows
12. Gotta Get It On (Bonus track)
Label: Frontiers Records
Artist's website(s): Wig Wam , MySpace
