Wolfmother are an Aussie rock band. But not in the vein that we've seen before from down under: they're not remotely pub rock, nor do they sound like Crowded House, Men At Work or even Midnight Oil (remember them?). They don't even sound like The Vines. Wolfmother take their influences from a far more proggy era of rock, circa Led Zeppelin IV. But don't let that put you off, because Mind's Eye, the first single to be released in the UK from their eponymous album, is really quite good.
With so much sappy rock balladry around you could be forgiven for wincing at the opening bars. But as the Robert Plant-esque vocals of singer Andrew Stockdale kick in, you realise that Wolfmother have the gravitas to pull off this kind of pomposity in style. And by the majestic middle eight, which by then has crescendoed into a power chord frenzy with double-time organ accompaniment, you realise you're listening to pure unashamed prog, in the most classic sense of the term.
I realise I've probably lost a few of you in the above words - but come back! Think of Led Zep at their best... Muse, for those of you born after 1985. Pomp rock can be great, and here is a shining example. Try it - you just might like it.
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