Wolfman Longarm – WLF (2022)
Wolfman Longarm offers up a sample of his unique blend of styles and sounds while giving us a taste of his grander ambitions with WLF. The four-track EP flashes with a balance of humour, emotion, musical passion and quickly shifting genres. With a touch of hip-hop woven into dark-pop, trap, rap and pop-punk, he has something for everyone and showcases why listeners are hungry for more of his music.
After starting his musical career in high school by singing and rapping with his friend Jonathan aka Billy the Kid, he has honed his free-styling rap and melodic musical abilities. Following the murder of his friend, he has soldiered on, keeping the musical dream alive for both of them and this passion shows in his music. A true musical chameleon who hops from one style to another, he retains the foundation of what drew him to the musical world in the first place.
The EP opens with ‘8-26-2020 ROACHES’ which is an unapologetic look at mental health and the struggles Wolfman Longarm has faced. The droning beat vibrates up your spine while the autotuned vocals draw you into the track. There is a touch of higher electronic tones in the higher levels that zip across the soundscape. As the lighter tapping electronic tones come in, they bring a brightness to the melody that lifts some of the pressure from those droning tones. The vocals gain an echo as they search for answers and help. There is something raw about the emotions in this track that comes through perfectly in the electronic-tinged vocals. The nuanced delivery touches something deep in your chest that connects you to the struggle of the lyrics.
’10-18-2021 MAYOR NOW’ opens with a lighter and more upbeat popping tone. There is a more traditional rap vibe to this track compared to the melodic autotuned vocals of the opening track. There is a great bounce to the song as the rap punches through the laser synths of the melody. Through the lyrics, Wolfman Longarm has a lot to say about how people promote where they live more than their elected officials do. The feeling of this track is so different to the opening one giving you a taste of the versatility of his musicality. There is a touch of YEEZUS tones to the depths of the melody while the vocal performance is something wonderfully unique.
Wolfman Longarm teams up with callmevince for ’11-29-2021 all my fault / AAF’ to look at how some people enter relationships with the view to change their partner. The melody has a meandering feeling as it wanders through your sense. The vocals on the verse provided by callmevince are melodically smooth as the lyrics acknowledge that he messed up but ask for understanding that this is who he is. The rap flows have a touch of hip-hop to them adding a slick slide to everything. The movement from the rap to melodic vocals is wonderful as the melodic flows rise from beneath the rap. Later in the track, everything changes with a choral touch before a heavier punch of rap. This has been wonderfully handled as it throws you for a loop while keeping you undeniably engaged.
The EP comes to a close with ’12-26 Bend Not Break’ which has a vulnerable feeling to the opening. The slightly out of tune tones of the opening is like a memory that has been broken or slightly warped. The vocals are raw as the lyrics open up about Wolfman Longarm’s feelings about the murder of his friend. There is a deep sense of grief that squeezes your chest and has you wallowing in the despair he feels. This is definitely the most emotive and authentic track on the EP and an amazing way to close off the collection. The deep beats that propel the melody are covered with vibrating tones that hover above your head. This all ends in a rich and beautiful instrumental flow that mourns through the horns as the violin plucks at your heartstrings.
Wolfman Longarm touches your heart with emotionally vulnerable lyrics wrapped about diverse styles in his EP WLF. Each track touches on different emotions and situations in an unapologetic manner. While each track is impressive, the final song is by far the most emotionally devastating.
Find out more about Wolfman Longarm on his Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
