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). 

There is no shame in taking one misstep during the whole road.

Beware Wolves is the name of a mysterious, nameless Bostonian troubadour, whose adventures with his acoustic guitar have managed to bring into reality 9 albums and 81 songs of varying shapes, colors, and forms, along with his occasional, tasty vocal and guitar overdubs, creating a whole universe of sound that, 6 albums in, have become familiar, identifiable, yet not at all predictable.

 Check out all Sistra’s Beware Wolves features here.

After a pacing issue that persisted over the 5th volume of songs from Beware Wolves, caused by their choice to order the songs in the albums alphabetically, I was anticipating giving the 6th one a listen, to see if the misstep got corrected, or if a domino effect has come into effect, affecting the remaining half of the experience. So, let’s find out.

The waning Gibbous on the album cover announces the start of the second half of this massive collection, symbolizing each album with a phase from the moon’s 8 phases, other than the blood moon on the 9th album cover. The 6th volume happened to be, in fact, my favorite volume so far. One of the longest too. No more issues with the pace, with songwriting that’s as solid and as intricate and as heartfelt as ever, this album, I’m pleased to say, wholly corrects the trajectory. With nuanced lyrics, rich musical ideas, and impressive, colorful singing styles that break the boundaries that have been set up till this point, this album exceeded my expectations. The starter, New World, likens the artist’s new relationship to the exhilarating joy of exploring a newly discovered world. Lush similes, and a warmly strummed acoustic riff that’s sweet and comforting revolve around the charismatic vocal harmonies to create this mildly energetic opener. Not That Strong has a characterful, poppy sound, courtesy of a familiar sounding chord progression. The swooning vocal performance that masterfully wrap around the gentle harmonies make this one on the more unique listens from Beware Wolves, whose booming voice has rarely been this gentle and accommodating up till this point.

Dominant chords and reassuring lyricisms make a home for themselves in Note to Self. A deeply reaffirming, literal note to self that sees the artist reminding themselves that they’re not trying to lecture or to judge and that they are loved by many, and that eventually things are bound to end up just fine, by giving things the patience and time they need. Only One has a stunning vocal arrangement with a wooing melody that’s as rare as it is fitting to the sound. With characterful, commanding progressions, that make use of colorful chord inversions, Only One is one of the more enjoyable and stand-out songs on the album. The manic, hyped-up acoustic performance of Phenom-Anom and the cowboy-ish vocals of Rabbit Run precede the gentle singer-songwriter charm of Radio. A song that talks about handling one’s failure to achieve the unfair goals they set for themselves, and that, reassuringly, we were not born to shine. The rhythmic Rather Be Fishing is a clear stand-out. With gorgeous, witty lyrics, a thumping, steady rhythm, a warm production, and one of the most characterful choruses throughout the artist’s discography, this is one song that deserves a spot if there ever was a Beware Wolves greatest hits album.

Not only has the 6th volume corrected the mistake of the preceding one, it also proved that that mistake was not one caused by any faltering in quality, musicianship, or taste. Beware Wolves music still boasts an impressive consistency that points toward a highly dedicated and focused mind. A thoroughly rich and enjoyable listen, from beginning to end.