Approaching the end of this anthology has brought me a lot of contradicting feelings that I did not anticipate. As a lover of all (well, most) kinds of music, it has been forever since I threw myself this heavily into the works of one single musician. I have been thoroughly surrounded by the music of Beware Wolves for nearly 2 weeks now. While it has been an insightful journey into the impressive catalog of one of the most interesting and consistent songwriters that I’ve personally ever came across, I can’t deny my excitement to get back to listening to other kinds of music. But make no mistake, I’ll be returning to many, many Beware Wolves songs, over and over again.
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But it’s not over yet, far from it in fact. There are still 3 more volumes, so we’re good to go. Runaway starts the 7th volume. This washed-out acoustic piece is sensitive and gentle. Dense reverb covers the overlapping layers of voices and guitar. The guitar overdub in particular, that plays lead lines, is a rare and appreciated addition, while the ‘Runaway’ calls are musical, syncopated, heartfelt and seductive. Sad Girl has a snappy guitar performance with a characterful slap-back delay, and a soaring, challenging vocal line that was executed impeccably, in a rare instance of Beware Wolves flexing his impressive vocal chops. Sail Away comes with a stark contrast. This serene, soothing lullaby is comforting, warm, and reassuring. With colorful harmonic choices and a heartful lyrical part, Sail Away shifts the weight from the jangly, snappy side to a more introspective and collected one. Signal is another calm and connected tune. With a sensitive composition, the vocal harmonies manage to add a layer of immaculate depth on this song. beautifully written and even more beautifully executed.
Sirens, as its name suggests, is hazy and intoxicating. The chords contain a healthy dash of dissonance, and the singing is chock-full of character and syncopation. With drunken backing vocals, this one is one of the more challenging and musically loaded songs from Beware Wolves. If you can make it past the uneasy verses, the openness of the choruses proves to be more than rewarding. Something Worthwhile asks the pressing question of how it would sound, if more of these precious Americana gems got an alternate treatment with a more inclusive arrangement. This stunning piece is one of the very few songs from Beware Wolves that make use of a drum kit, a piano, and electric guitars. The vocal melodies are endlessly compelling, beautifully orchestrated. The guitar is lightly overdriven, and the drum shuffle is gentle but commanding, making everything follow along in its pace. Infectious and heartfelt. Song De Jour is a comforting singer/songwriter stunner. Quick to start, quick to finish, the lulling rhythm of the chords and the delicate backing vocals work together to create a simple, compelling musical tapestry, that’s undeniably Beware Wolves. The closer, Still Horses, is a cowboy-influenced cut. With an intricate rhythmic strumming structure and charismatic, bluesy chords, the optimistic lyrics of this final cut are comforting and heartwarming.
The 7th volume of Beware Wolves’ 9-part anthology was an approachable, easy to follow one. With a few of his more rare and unique tricks, including dissonance and actual beats, this volume had some of his more memorable tunes, while remaining clear from the top 3; volumes 1, 3 & 6 (sorry for ranking).