Album Review: Dope Lemon - 'Golden Wolf'

The Short of It

With a blend of hazy psychedelia, laid-back grooves, and Angus Stone’s effortlessly cool vocals, Golden Wolf is the epitome of Dope Lemon. A brilliant follow-up to Kimosabé by the Australian folky beach rock maestro, his fifth studio album will casually carry American listeners out of the winter months into Spring and an endless summer with swag and confidence.

Dope Lemon, His Professionalism, and His Vibe

I told my wife that if I met Angus Stone, I would want to say, “What’s up, Cuz?” She laughed because she knows I would never be confident enough to do that. Yet, hear me out.

Such a familiar greeting is very much out of my nature. However, the Australian musician has an air that says he would make anyone in his presence feel comfortable and at ease. While it’s true that I have little but the vibe his music offers as proof, I’m willing to bet under normal circumstances that he is a relatively chill and self-assured person who is driven but not to a detrimental point.

If you approach my review with a cynical and skeptical mind, you will read what I am about to write in a negative way. However, I assure that is not my intention. My thought: Music is Dope Lemon’s life, and the music he makes is of the moment. He is not trying to make an album meant to take him to the status of someone like Kendrick Lamar. (I am using him as an example because his last album seemed more about proving and securing his place in the hip-hop world than anything else. And yes, I want everyone to prove me wrong. I need to hear it.)

The skeptics may read my thought as a diss to Dope Lemon. They may think I am saying Golden Wolf isn’t good enough to be part of the conversations, but that cannot be further from the truth. I believe Angus Stone understands how to construct a solid album and carry his listeners from beginning to end. To me, that is the definition of a great album.

Give it a good listen. Seriously. “John Belushi” into “Sugarcat” into “Electric Green Lambo” into . . . you get what I’m getting at. Dope Lemon does to studio albums what Phish does to live shows. It is all about the setlist, the movements, and the transitions. Musically and emotionally.

I’m not even suggesting that you have to listen to the entire album to appreciate what Angus Stone is doing. You don’t. “Golden Wolf” is a stand-alone moment. The hook, the rhythm, the lyrics, and the build are nearly perfect. It could sit in my Chill Sunday shuffle, my Daily Drive, or my next party playlist. And still, it plays right into “Yamasuki – Yama Yama” on the album.

Another Reason I Appreciate Golden Wolf

I have already mentioned Phish, so I will use them as another example. Some of my phavorite live songs by them continue longer than some people can handle. Give me a ten-minute “Bathtub Gin,” and I won’t complain. Or a “Split Open and Melt,” “Scent of a Mule,” or a cover of Talking Heads’ “Crosseyed and Painless.” Any of those can get me going.

Dope Lemon’s fifth album has two songs that cross the seven-minute barrier. They do not have the same energy as the Phish songs I mentioned, but Angus Stone’s vibe and purpose differ. “Maggie’s Moonshine” isn’t about pushing the pace, and neither is “Dust Of A Thousand Stars.” Both songs linger in the moment. Where Phish’s driving force pushes the future away and stretches time, Dope Lemon slows and calms the ticking of the universe’s clock. There is no aggression, no worries. He gives time a break, lets it relax, and appreciates the present moment with it.

Final Thought: My thesis for this review is that Angus Stone, aka Dope Lemon, is a lifelong musician more interested in creating the music he needs to make than what will win him awards or prove that he is the best. My comment about Kendrick Lamar leads back to my opinion that he doesn’t need to prove to anyone that he is the best. Who cares? He has already created his legacy, which is very different from Drake’s. Capitalism and colonialism teach us that being on top is all that’s important, and I know Kendrick knows that.

Favorite Songs: “Sugarcat,” “Yamasuki - Yama Yama,” and “Dust Of A Thousand Stars”

Rating - 5/5 (because, yes, Thank you, Cuz!)