Customer Reviews

Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

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"Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" is easily the album of the year. It takes a few listens for this unsettling neo-folk album to click, but once it does, it quickly hits you as one of the most innovative albums in a long time.

Here, Foster covers seven German folk songs, which might sound dull merely from description - what invigorates the album is the electric guitar blazing away sorrowfully behind Foster's acoustic strums and her hypnotic warbling. But the album is never morose: mystery and sometimes joy creep into the songs despite the superficially disciplined and balanced nature of the album.

I can't wait to see what Josephine Foster does next. Highly recommended.

Josephine Foster's previous album, the wonderful "Hazel Eyes, I Will Lead You", was compared by many to Joanna Newsom's "The Milk-Eyed Mender" so anyone expecting a "Ys" like leap from obscurity into the widespread critical acclaim and comparative commercial success will have been somewhat 'thrown' by her decision to record an album of German folk balladry.

I bought this album having been completely bowled over by her previous record but it certainly isn't a case of 'more of the same'. Here, the gently crooning warble, and spare acoustic instrumentation, is countered and, occasionally, augmented by the dark gritty soloing and fuzzy chords of Brian Goodman's electric guitar.

It is an album of contrasts. The most gently presented song "Wehmut" is followed by the 11 minute 'Auf Einer Burg' whose growling raw of electric noise(brings to mind Sonic Youth) threatens to overpower the balance that exists on the rest of the album.

I would say that this is a very experimental record and while it is (very)unlikely to appeal everyone, it does contain passages of great beauty and power, so if you are looking for something truly, truly different, and any of the above piques your interest, all I can say is, give it a try.