New York musician Wolf describes his music as "World Rock." NY musician Wolf packs CD with talent Music Review By Michael Green Senior Staff Reporter May 01, 2002 When one looks to find cutting-edge music, cities such as Seattle, Los Angeles and New York come to mind. The Big Apple never fails to produce some of the most innovate and creative artists, and the latest artist hailing from NYC who goes simply by "Wolf," continues the creative tradition. The singer has shown his talent for the guitar since age 15 and has moved up to songwriting. Wolf said he sings about dreams and human experience in a style he calls "world rock." His latest CD, "Shallow Breath," gives listeners some ear candy in the process of explaining exactly what he means. Ten tracks of highly diversified music whose lyrics as well as instrumentals command the audience's attention from beginning to end. If one is looking for songs about love and loss, look no further than to the tracks entitled "Timeless" and "Blue." "Blue" sounds like B.B. King instrumentals meeting Jack Johnson lyrics. Wolf takes comfort in "the blue night ... it makes me feel alright," and continues his ballad by proclaiming he's fine: "Oh, serenity, there's nothing sad about blue to me." The song takes you back to the nightclubs that created such legends as King and Muddy Waters. You're transported to the smoky floors painted with spilled beer and pure melody echoing through the air. Another track, "The Final Cut," stood out as a must-listen for those hearing the album for the first time. Wolf's words flow through the song, allowing the listener to feel as well as hear such lyrics as, "It's so easy to remain asleep and create the dreams of the words we wish to keep." The track is an early and addicting way to hook the listener into hearing the rest of Wolf's CD.   Wolf's sophomore album "Shallow Breath" is ten tracks of highly diversified music that commands the audience's attention. Through the first few songs of the album, it's hard to distinguish the division of songs because they flow so well. Some of the lyrics were a bit repetitive, such as on the track, "In The Name Of," but the keyboard solo makes up for it with its intricate arrangement. Wolf's generally bluesy-themed music continues onto "Shallow Breath," where he gives out the advice, "Each of us are different, each of us are the same, live your own life, breathe a shallow breath." The track that stood out the most, "Wish," steps away from Wolf's other tracks with a combination of bass, piano and a female backup singer. The track was refreshing but a little unclear on the vocal range. It seemed like an experimental track that could have gone really well if he took the time to enunciate. The final track, "Emptiness," leaves the listener on an upbeat note with intrinsic lyrics to match. The verse, "I walk through these streets with no destination and an empty face," tells the audience he has arrived at the bottom, and everything from here is up. With an album like "Shallow Breath," Wolf appears to have nowhere else to go but up.

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