Record Review: Peter Wolf Crier

by | Nov 18, 2011 | Reviews

Peter Wolf Crier
Garden of Arms
Minneapolis, MN

“Tightly-woven mix of electronic beats, soulful guitar, and searching lyrics”

With Garden of Arms, Peter Wolf Crier’s second album, the band has built on the foundation of their debut, Inter-Be, to create a tightly-woven mix of electronic beats, soulful guitar, and searching lyrics that sounds more fully formed than their initial offering.  Inter-Be was initially a solo effort from former Wars of 1812 member Peter Pisano, with Brian Moen coming in later to hone and shape what Pisano had started. On Garden of Arms, the two collaborated from the beginning, drawing on their experiences playing live together, something that had not happened prior to their debut.

Those experiences are reflected in Garden of Arms’ confidence, both musically and lyrically. Catchy rhythms and interesting loops saturate the album, especially on songs like “Right Away,” and on “Loud Enough to Know,” while the lyrics in songs like “Krishnamurti,” and “Cut a Hand” are vague without being opaque. When the two elements come together, like on the album’s standout, “Setting it Off,” the outcome shows that Peter Wolf Crier’s collaborative efforts have paid off. (Jagjaguwar)

www.peterwolfcrier.com