Big Bad Wolf, Every Atlas’s follow-up of their debut release The Ghosts of Everyone, is the perfect snapshot of the band’s musical progress and growth of sound. The 4-track EP is split even between songs that sound like uncovered B-sides of The Ghosts of Everyone and that are more upbeat in sound and folksy in content.
The opening track “Hungry Hungry Wolves” might be insight into the future of Every Atlas’s sound: soft strumming over simple, melodious vocals lull a 91-second tale of the wild and wolves. As the title of the EP suggests, wolves pervade the tracks; Every Atlas lyricists and band members Alex and Dustin have replaced the sea exploration and lamenting of Annabelle in The Ghosts of Everyone with recurring wolf imagery, staying true to their format of learned conceptual composure and literary motifs, and perhaps paying direct tribute to inspiration Manchester Orchestra’s “Wolves at Night.”
So as not to shock listeners, the second track “Flesh/Bone” is an immediate retreat to the familiar raspy, raw vocals and frequent, calculated harmonies patterned over picked guitar. Alex and Dustin continue their lyrical exploration of discovery, finishing the song with the pointed, fantastical line more characteristic of their newer work: “With all those heads bowed in regret // at golden alter in reverie.”
“Flesh/Bone” guides right into “Let Loose, Oh Devil,” a song that sounds like it was cut from The Ghosts of Everyone. The chilling, raw vocals that seem to be pushed out of Dustin’s chest by pain and reluctant conviction climb high above the slow guitar and are reminiscent of the bridge of “Like Wind and Waves,” only more stripped down.
By the last song, you’re almost shocked by the abandonment of pained sounds and the return to a more melodic intro. But “Haunting” is by far the best track on the EP, flaunting vocal ranges and shifting musical dynamics as well as thoughtful, precise lyrics to match the introspection of the accompaniment. “You’re closing up your cage // to keep the wolves at bay,” Alex croons. High, chilling “oohs” indeed haunt and support the lyrics and introduce a shift of tone to a more forceful close. The increasing complexity of harmony and layered lyrics builds in an encapsulating swirl and ends somewhat abruptly, punctuating the haunting spirit of the song. You’ll be mesmerized enough by the last minute to play the whole track over and over, each time discovering a new layer of the song.
Hopefully Every Atlas will take the essence of this closing track and get another EP or album out shortly, but in the mean time, Big Bad Wolf satisfies the Every Atlas crave and demonstrates that these guys can work on both ends of their sound with talent. The EP is only just over 10 minutes long, almost a tease in its entirety, but easy to fit into any listening schedule, which you will find yourself doing without a doubt.
****/****
*This review was composed by Emily Coch
