Revved Up Neo-Classic Rock:Vulture Whale's Vulture Whale

54*40 is back. I mean, Wes McDonald—channeling some of the best moment’s of Canada’s punk/post-punk trailblazers 54*40—is back. This time McDonald is with Vulture Whale, a Birmingham, Alabama, band originally named Wes McDonald & the Fizz. Tracks like “Red Hot” rev up on a classic rock blues fuel but then inject plenty of indie punk ethanol. Perhaps it would be better to say this is a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle—it looks like a classic roadster with all its guitar-led rock but produces a new kind of energy.

The songs don’t necessarily grab you like McDonald’s solo album, 1:50 in the Furnace with its pure joy of melodic lines above the rocking (review). Instead, this is just about rocking. It’s no surprise, then, that a song like “Shoulda Been Rockin’” is just vamping on Led Zeppelin. Because of the neo-classic rocking sense, Vulture Whale comes close to what the Loft is doing—although in a much more indie, garage band way whereas the Loft is definitely grabbing that whole arena rock sound.

For a taste of where Vulture Whale can really swallow up the intensity of what you thought were dead rock styles, check out “Rearranged”—a heavy dose of the 101ers punk rockabilly barreling down the tracks while singing “Come on breeze, blow my way” making you think of “Call Me the Breeze” (Lynyrd Skynyrd).

Then let “Land It” drive you off into new territory. A perfect song for a driving scene in a movie—windows rolled down, the hero confident that he needs to leave that girl behind, his arm out the window tapping to the music, the guitar shreds matching his slamming the gears, but introspective eyes are seen in the reflection of the side view mirror.

Thanks to Vulture Whale for the review CD.