Hungry for more Wolf

As a band part of the emergence of the British pub-rock revival scene, garage rock trio The Noisettes sound like a band ready for a big break. The band turned their popularity gained through touring Europe -- opening for Muse and Baby Shambles -- into an international deal with Universal Music in 2006. The album showcases a band at their very best, displays the manic energy of a live show but also displays the tightness of a more veteran act.\nSinger/bassist Shingai Shoniwa's voice brings to mind everyone from Billie Holliday to Karen O, going from soulful singing to ferocious shrieks instantly. Shoniwa's uniqueness separates the band from the rest of the UK pub-rock scene, whether it be the Fratellis or the Arctic Monkeys. Someone with this much energy and attitude has enough to carry a band alone, but guitarist Dan Smith and drummer Jamie Morrison do a great job of matching this energy. From the wailing blues guitar solo in "Sister Rosetta (Capture the Spirit)" to the crashing cymbals of "Nothing to Dread," the band flourishes when they're the most frenzied.\nThe album opens with a bang with "Don't Give Up," a rallying cry of sorts. From there the energy continues with the anthem "Scratch Your Name." "The Count of Monte Christo" begins with a jazzy acoustic strum before leading into a soulful climax. This is followed by the album's single, "Sister Rosetta (Capture the Spirit)," an ode to one of the original female guitar heroes, gospel singer Sister Rosetta Tharpe. The three concise minutes of great garage punk is the most riveting point of the album. However, from this point the album falls off, with only three great tracks remaining. After the forgettable "I WE," there are two dynamic tracks. "Nothing to Dread" which rings of classic '80s punk, and "Minding the Gap," which is the most complex arrangement on the album as well as being the best showcase of Shoniwa's vocal range. While the last two tracks disappoint, they are almost made up for by the blissful hidden track, "Never Fall In Love Again," a song that has guitarist Dan Smith sharing vocal duties. While this song would fit only as a hidden track, it serves as an interesting closer to one of the most energetic and promising albums of 2007.