Take note Mika and your tawdry ilk, this is how theatrical, blue-eyed, glam-pop is done.
With a lot more soul and sophistication, the 23-year old Wolf Gang – that’s Max McElligott when he’s not in his Teutonic composers guise – unashamedly borrows from Mott The Hoople, Queen, Elton John and Sparks for his latest sugar-rush release, ‘Dancing With The Devil’.
Ambitious in scope – thanks in part to the high-end production of Dave Fridmann (Mercury Rev, MGMT and Flaming Lips) – this rousing, pulsating paean manages to ooze confidence, even if some of the lyrical content is over-baked at times. The Wolf’s vocals are dramatic and full-on, as he swoons vitriol cutting remarks and assults the protaganist of the song with profound magisterial quips: “If you’re the choosen one, how does it feel to be loved by no-one” – ouch!
Atlantic have a lot riding on the former Fife resident, allowing him a lot of slack – he was able to scrap his first attempt at the forthcoming debut album, and start again. On the strength of both this at his last single they may have made a canny decision as pop just got clever again.
The debut LP, ‘Suega Faults’ is due out on June 26th.
www.myspace.com/thisiswolfgang
[Rating:3.5]
