Reviews for "The Wolfman" CD

Picture the scene. In the foreground a man in braces and trilby hat (with a guitar held low at his side) stands at best hesitant at worst petrified, behind a tree. Stalking him in the background, amongst the shadowy pines is a werewolf silhouetted against the moon. This is the front cover of Chris Wolf’s latest album (since his previous release in 2006), The Wolfman. Is this going to be a comedy record? It could be a genius masterwork. It could be entirely the opposite.

As one can imagine from the front cover, Chris Wolf, has a healthy perspective on life and one imagines, does not take things too seriously. The Wolfman, is a mixture of Hicksville country Bluegrass (for example Wolf’s ode to his awful car, ‘She’s a Beater with a Heater’) to Waitsian mumble rants about drug deals and shoot outs.  Add to this a good measure of Django Rhienhart licks and you have The Wolfman.

Stretching to seventeen tracks, one imagines this second outing for Chris Wolf is essentially a catalogue of his songs since his last. The album is, on the whole, sparsely arranged although it boasts a vast array of collaborators and musicians, including many family members and maybe because of this, there is a warmth and certain charm to this record. The album is endearing and incredibly cookie. Are you ready for the Wolfman?

Monday, 28 April 2014
Matthew Boulter
Americana UK
http://www.americana-uk.com/cd-reviews/item/chris-wolf-the-wolfman
"I was listening to it AGAIN yesterday. There's some swampy stuff on there. (Around here that's a good thing!)"
RE: "The Wolfman" CD by Chris Wolf

Tom "Panda" Ryan (Mar 12, 2014)
Bassist for Shawn Mullins, Saxophonist for Widespread Panic

"What a delightful little record. I'm serious man. I love Invisible Dog, the title song, it's just a delightful little record. And you are a hard rhyming mother- f**ker. I'm really just thrilled, I really am. That's nice work and congratulations. I'm glad you did this. It's just wonderful and I'm proud of you. Good on ya. Good job."

Chuck Cannon

Award Winning Nashville Songwriter

I  listened to Chris Wolf's 'The Wolfman' yesterday. Good stuff! Strong writing and good production, both with a very organic feel.  For fans of Tom Waits and John Prine, this would make a nice gift.  LOVE the instrumental at the end. Also, his brother Steve is kind of a badass. I enjoyed listening to the whole thing.

CJ Watson
Nashville Songwriter
Author of "The Everything
Songwriting Book: All You
Need to Create and Market Hit Songs"

Chris Wolf style of music is not only unique, but he makes it extremely fun.

A natural story teller, who knows how to pick a guitar...the Jim Stafford or Ray Stevens of Indianapolis? Eh, possibly on this album, The Wolfman. Backed up by some of Indy's top musicians...The Wolfman is a very fun CD.

Brother Brother Beercast

http://www.brotherbrotherbeercast.com/e27-chris-wolf.html

Other press and stuff below!
"Chris Wolf is a singer/songwriter that combines an often quirky and always fresh lyrical focus on real life themes with an uncanny ability to establish an instant rapport with a live audience. He's one of our area's best entertainers in any genre."
-Cary Allen Fields
Host of "Redbud Radio" & "Fields of Bluegrass"
WICR 88.7FM Indianapolis
Chris Wolf -(Mooresville, IN) has proven over and over what a brilliant Singer
- Songwriter he is and this evening, he’ll likely do the same.
He has a multitude of awards for his music and you’ll see why if you come out for this Showcase. Chris’s music can be darkish, but often is downright FUNNY. He has a quick wit, and a Blues Voice. His finger-picking guitar work is enough to get folks in to see him, but his on stage persona is just plain old fun.
Bloomington (IN) Songwriters Showcase
10-21-2013

"There has been no shortage of solo talent in this year’s contest. Some have made their mark with a distinct voice. Some have done it with a “jaw-dropping guitar solo” (‘eat your heart out, Eddie Van Halen’). Some did it with memorable hooks. Others with a sense of humor. Then there’s Chris Wolf, an artist who has done it with all four of the above listed criteria, and then some. When I last saw this guy, he amazed and left the entire building in stitches with his songs about invisible dogs, critters, and a crossroads to nowhere. This time around? It’s no different. Though later admitting he was nervous before taking the stage, he looked nothing like it underneath the blazing hot lights of an already toasty building. Sure he may not have a fancy effects board, a backing band or a drum machine, but who needs it? What Chris lacks in fancy toys, he makes up for in sheer, raw talent. Besides, you don’t need all of those anyway to get a room full of people clappin"
- Josh Lauritsen, Indy Concerts.com (May 13, 2011) 

"Chris Wolf Wolf’s music brought a refreshing change to the singer/songwriter format, leveraging not on his guitar skills or his voice (which were both of fine quality), but on his sense of humor instead. Openly admitting a penchant for writing songs about “critters”, Wolf won the audience by singing about his invisible dog- "I named him Spotless; he was so clean. He was the greatest dog that you have never seen.""
- Danielle Look, Nuvo news weekly Nuvo.net (Apr 01, 2011) 
                         
"Chris demonstrates his mastery of thumb-picking guitar on this collection of mostly original numbers.  His songwriting flair also shows.  Chris has a boundless imagination and seems to move effortlessly from writing about falling in love (The Doo-Doo Song) to writing about murder for hire (Tell Me When).  

The instrumentation is sparse on Better Be Scared.  It's Chris's vocal and guitar throughout, which gives the CD the feel of a live performance.  At times I find myself wanting to throw in a lead fill or vocal harmony.  Although it might fill out the sound, it would take away from the live feel of the record.

Buy this CD, and you'll experience Chris's wry sense of humor, his masterful guitar playing and his poetic exploration of life's many corners, all as if he's there in the room with you."

author: Dean Phelps (award winning guitar picker, songwriter, preacher
and friend. I don't know if his associating with Chris Wolf is good for
Chris or bad for the preacher!) 
Additional thanks to Dean for his contribution to my bio page!
See Dean's site here