#superwolves

The pair’s means of operating is singular: Oldham writes the lyrics, his poetry rife with wry yet affecting passages; Sweeney applies melodies to the words and sets them to music. With two artists any less intimate with each other’s personalities, this strategy would lead to something resembling chaos. Oldham and Sweeney are so dialed in to each other that their songs feel as if they were divined straight from a single soul. The music and words are intertwined, inseparable, two vines growing as one. 

In the decade-and-a-half since Superwolf arrived Oldham got married and had a kid, and Sweeney’s reputation as a master session guitarist grew such that he appeared on records by artists as diverse as Run the Jewels, Kid Rock and Josh Groban. The pair enjoyed periodic check-ins, such as the Must be Blind single, yet the world was clamoring for another full-length. They began working on what would become Superwolves five years ago, but it took a pandemic to really light the fire to see it through to completion. It’s as if they never separated. The same synergies are present, maybe even more pronounced. 

As soon as Sweeney’s guitar unfurls the opening notes of “Make Worry for Me”, it’s on. The lilting passages are married to Oldham’s softened warble as the rhythm section gently keeps time. Sweeney’s backing vocals hover delicately in the background, punctuating Oldham’s instructions to “When I come to your street / make worry for me”. The pair strip things down fairly bare — both musically and emotionally — for “Good to My Girls” and “God is Waiting”. Sweeney’s guitar rips off delicate lines while Oldham frankly explains “and I chop down trees / and spit in faces / and laugh when you are sad” on the former track, and frustratedly exclaims “God can fuck herself / and it does / hardcore” on the latter. The prettiness of the music and lyrical delivery balances the unsettling nature of the lyrics themselves. Oldham does thread his family man status into his poetry at times throughout Superwolves, but the dark moments overtake the light. 

While the pair certainly revel in quietude, they do rock out on “Hall of Death”, which was co-written with Tuareg guitarist Ahmoudou Madassane and features a searing lead guitar line courtesy of Mdou Moctar. Moments like these are when Superwolves really howls. A pair of long-time buddies brings new acquaintances into their orbit to expand their collective presence while remaining tight. This spirit of long-lasting camaraderie shines throughout this intimate and lovingly produced album.