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

FIJM | Fievel is Glauque For Dessert… Dessert loaded!

FIJM | Fievel is Glauque For Dessert… Dessert loaded!

FIJM | Misc: Beat Bouquet Well Garnished!

FIJM | Misc: Beat Bouquet Well Garnished!

FIJM | Alexis Lombre and the Holy Spirit in the South Side of Chicago

FIJM | Alexis Lombre and the Holy Spirit in the South Side of Chicago

FIJM | Allison Russel’s Apotheosis Concert in Her Hometown

FIJM | Allison Russel’s Apotheosis Concert in Her Hometown

FIJM I Best Dressed, Most Possessed: Fantastic Negrito Stupefies Rogers Stage

FIJM I Best Dressed, Most Possessed: Fantastic Negrito Stupefies Rogers Stage

FIJM 2025 | Beth McKenna : raising her Momentum

FIJM 2025 | Beth McKenna : raising her Momentum

Nuits d’Afrique | Immersion In The World of Stogie T

Nuits d’Afrique | Immersion In The World of Stogie T

FIJM | Julius Rodriguez, Jazz Groove Ace

FIJM | Julius Rodriguez, Jazz Groove Ace

FIJM | Men I Trust Shines Brightly on The Place des Festivals

FIJM | Men I Trust Shines Brightly on The Place des Festivals

FIJM | Anomalie and Lettieri: A New Musical Friendship, Developing in Real Time

FIJM | Anomalie and Lettieri: A New Musical Friendship, Developing in Real Time

FIJM | Linda May Han Oh, A Role Model for Female Double-Bass Players

FIJM | Linda May Han Oh, A Role Model for Female Double-Bass Players

Nuits d’Afrique | La Chiva Gantiva As Seen by Rafael Espinel

Nuits d’Afrique | La Chiva Gantiva As Seen by Rafael Espinel

Suoni | The Spiritual Quest, The End in Transcendence

Suoni | The Spiritual Quest, The End in Transcendence

FIJM | Thundercat, A Feline on The Loose

FIJM | Thundercat, A Feline on The Loose

FIJM | Bill Frisell, Thomas Morgan and Rudy Royston Exposed

FIJM | Bill Frisell, Thomas Morgan and Rudy Royston Exposed

FIJM | Branford Marsalis Among Four MF’s Playin’ Tunes… Live!

FIJM | Branford Marsalis Among Four MF’s Playin’ Tunes… Live!

FIJM | About Derrick Hodge’s Idea of the Color of Noize

FIJM | About Derrick Hodge’s Idea of the Color of Noize

FIJM | Queen of Afrobeats, Ayra confirms her status as a Global… Starr

FIJM | Queen of Afrobeats, Ayra confirms her status as a Global… Starr

FIJM | Black Jazz by Marquis Hill

FIJM | Black Jazz by Marquis Hill

Festival de Lanaudière | Leonardo Garcia Alarcon/Monteverdi’s Coronation of Poppea: being marketwise

Festival de Lanaudière | Leonardo Garcia Alarcon/Monteverdi’s Coronation of Poppea: being marketwise

FIJM | Nate Smith and his Supremely Talented Quartet

FIJM | Nate Smith and his Supremely Talented Quartet

Nuits d’Afrique 2025 | Tyrane Mondeny Presents Her Mandingo Soul

Nuits d’Afrique 2025 | Tyrane Mondeny Presents Her Mandingo Soul

FIJM | Nai Palm? Creature of Exception! Hawa B? Future Star!

FIJM | Nai Palm? Creature of Exception! Hawa B? Future Star!

FIJM 2025 | Funky funky, Trombone Shorty

FIJM 2025 | Funky funky, Trombone Shorty

Subscribe to our newsletter