Country : United States Label : Genres and styles : Indie Rock / Jazz-Funk / R&B Year : 2022

Vulfmon – Here We Go Jack

· by Lyle Hendriks

Fans of the delightfully weird, neo-retro funk aesthetic of Vulfpeck rejoice for founder Jack Stratton’s solo debut, Here We Go Jack has arrived. Under the moniker of Vulfmon, Stratton has created an eclectic mix of funk, R&B, classical, and even sombre indie rock – all culminating in an (unsurprisingly) surprising collection.

Since Vulfpeck’s 2015 debut, Stratton has proven himself an impeccable composer of restrained yet satisfying arrangements. And on the instrumental front, he has once again delivered. From the nostalgic, psychedelic grooves on “Boogieman,” to the beautiful simplicity of “Alone Again, Naturally,” Stratton has proven once again that his compositions are second to none.

With that said, there are some misses on this album, whether you’re familiar with the Vulf brand or not. One particularly egregious example is “Let’s Go Let’s Go.” Despite an outstanding pop-rock instrumental, Mike Viola’s vocals are grating, juvenile, and downright hard to sit through at times. 

This could be set aside as a matter of taste if it didn’t feel so intentionally annoying, as evidenced by the song’s unwelcome and gratuitous outro: a full thirty seconds of Viola screaming “woo.” This is followed by “Bach Pedal,” a short interlude that would be pleasant – if it didn’t feel like it was included solely as a quirky contrast to the irritating song that precedes it.

Despite apparently bottomless skill, Vulfmon’s debut demonstrates Stratton’s inability to leave well enough alone. Despite most of these songs being more than holding up on their own, there’s a nagging sense of an in-joke to the project that will only be appreciated by the most dedicated of fans.

Excellent arrangements are diluted by unnecessary subversion, which seems to serve only to make the album less commercially viable. And when contrasted with the top tracks off Here We Go Jack, listeners may be left scratching their heads halfway through, wondering what happened to that great album they were just listening to.

Latest 360 Content

Vancouver Contemporary Orchestra; Vancouver Chamber Choir – Christopher Tyler Nickel : Mass; Te Deum

Vancouver Contemporary Orchestra; Vancouver Chamber Choir – Christopher Tyler Nickel : Mass; Te Deum

Hypercube – The Force for Good

Hypercube – The Force for Good

PUP – Who Will Look After the Dogs?

PUP – Who Will Look After the Dogs?

Duo AYA – Cycles

Duo AYA – Cycles

Papillon Social Club – Dur de la feuille

Papillon Social Club – Dur de la feuille

Coalescent Quartet – The Wall Between Us

Coalescent Quartet – The Wall Between Us

Samuel Bonnet Trio – Live in Harmony

Samuel Bonnet Trio – Live in Harmony

Marc-André Hamelin; Quatuor Takacs – Dvořák & Price : Piano Quintets

Marc-André Hamelin; Quatuor Takacs – Dvořák & Price : Piano Quintets

Oktopus – Brahms, Balkans & Bagels

Oktopus – Brahms, Balkans & Bagels

OCM: Bernstein and his “Side stories” in the spotlight

OCM: Bernstein and his “Side stories” in the spotlight

Abracadabra! Klô Pelgag is Back

Abracadabra! Klô Pelgag is Back

Constantinople – Nordic Lights in Persian Sky

Constantinople – Nordic Lights in Persian Sky

Salin – Rammana

Salin – Rammana

Real Farmer – RF II

Real Farmer – RF II

Syncopation & Synergy: Karneef’s jazz fusion meshes with Rapallo’s corporate yacht pop

Syncopation & Synergy: Karneef’s jazz fusion meshes with Rapallo’s corporate yacht pop

Classica 2025 Presented by Marc Boucher: The Art of The Piano with Serhiy Salov and Jean-Philippe Sylvestre

Classica 2025 Presented by Marc Boucher: The Art of The Piano with Serhiy Salov and Jean-Philippe Sylvestre

Classica 2025 Presented by Marc Boucher: Women’s Cellos

Classica 2025 Presented by Marc Boucher: Women’s Cellos

Classica 2025 presented by Marc Boucher: The Köln Concert String Quartet

Classica 2025 presented by Marc Boucher: The Köln Concert String Quartet

Spółdzielnia Muzyczna Contemporary Ensemble / Zygmunt Krauze – Konteksty

Spółdzielnia Muzyczna Contemporary Ensemble / Zygmunt Krauze – Konteksty

dope.gng – Fiend II

dope.gng – Fiend II

Bells Larsen – Blurring Time

Bells Larsen – Blurring Time

Viagra Boys – viagr aboys

Viagra Boys – viagr aboys

Le Vivier: many skills, few surprises

Le Vivier: many skills, few surprises

SAT’s Substrat Sound Series: IRLʼs soundscapes

SAT’s Substrat Sound Series: IRLʼs soundscapes

Subscribe to our newsletter