Vulfmon has, so far/as far as I know, been an altar-ego for Vulfpeck’s Jack Stratton for quite some time. Often, or so it’s seemed to me, for slightly more goofy or experimental stuff.
This is – correct me if I’m wrong – his first mini-LP length offering of stuff under that nom-de-plume. A collection of tracks raving from totally solo stuff, to collaborations with numerous other folk. Some of these collaborators I’ve see and heard him work with before (Antwaun Stanley, Jakob Jeffries), others I didn’t recognise.
Vulfmon/Stratton also collaborates here with video makers: there’s the very light/lite or cute/sweet dance competition storyline of ‘UCLA’, and then the much darker but incredibly beautiful ‘Blue’. The whole Stratton/Vulf universe has always had a very powerful unified visual aesthetic. It’s amazing how even in collaboration, and as diverse as this set is, that aesthetic unity, the string flavour, is preserved.
There’s even a ‘dance remix’ style re-working of The Stratton/Jeffries How Much Do You Love Me? Normally I can’t stand this sort of schtick. But they pull it off, with the help of a goofy video.
It’s not easy for me to admit – who likes to be the aloof lone wolf, up on my lonely crag, howling at the world – but I’m a fan! There’s very little Jack does that I don’t really love. Indeed, although I don’t like to concur with … et, um…
The spoken word piece – ‘James Jameson used 1 finger’ – is brilliant. Poetry, philosophy, aesthetics, motivation. And the way he frames himself as a tousle-haired squinting, side-burned Vulfnik guru, with tiny mic and gorgeous if uncomprehending female acolyte?
There’s a simultaneous density and richness that makes for a piquant contrast with the otherwise oft-Spartan low-volume thing.
The only track I’m less sold on is ‘Harry’s Theme (Lite Pullman)’. But even then, it is at least interesting. Vulfmon and co cover an astonishing range of territory here, from the gospel-soused cover, ‘The Lord Will Find A Way’, to ‘I Can’t Party’ or ‘Bonnie Wait, to the funk of ‘Harpejji’, the deeply introspective ‘Blue’ to the effervescent ‘Nice To You’ or