It’s hard to beat a live performance. However, some live albums can still capture the magic effectively, even a year after the concert occurred. The DWLVS’ (Dire Wolves Just Exactly Perfect Sisters Band) latest digital release Live DWLVS (Milwaukee, WI – May 11, 2024) is a clear example.
A celebration of improvisational psych rock, the album grounds itself in ‘60s golden era psych-rock while interspersing new elements, elevating the group above the masses. Often, it will remind the listener of Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead, and most specifically, Quicksilver Messenger Service’s Happy Trails (1969)—albeit with fewer Bo Diddley beats.
The album is primarily one almost 51-minute track. Though there are three other tracks, each under two minutes, they are sample clips. When their titles are combined, they reveal a sentence that promises lofty expectations: “Merely a taste of the full 51 glorious minutes.”
However, these promises are quickly met as the album begins. Shifting over presumably four different songs throughout its almost-hour runtime, Dire Wolves creates psychedelic soundscapes that are easy to lose yourself in.
Because the music is improvisational, it’s easy to worry that an almost 51-minute jam may become too “inside” and introspective for regular listening. Thankfully, Dire Wolves’ five-member musicians make it absolutely enveloping. Comprised of Jeffrey Alexander, Sheila Bosco, Marina Lazzara, Brian Lucas, and Arjun Mendiratta, the five reside in different corners of the world.
Hailing from Philadelphia, Amsterdam, and various places in California, the five may have a hard time meeting up regularly to “throw down.” However, when listening to Live DWLVS, it almost feels like the band plays every night together, as they lock in at the start of the set and never falter.
One of the biggest highlights—although there are several—is the all-encompassing nature of the band’s performance. Though the music travels through many peaks and valleys upon its “glorious” almost 51 minutes, it maintains its grip on the listener.
That doesn’t mean you’re not apt to astral project into the world of the psychedelic, but you certainly will never lose interest. A vital part of this connection is the group’s ability to maintain a grounding sensibility forwarded by at least one of the musicians.
Sometimes, it’s Mendriatta’s violin lines that flutter their wings underneath the mix, but other times, Lucas’ bass lines provide an even-keeled thrumming. It’s especially necessary, as other musicians—like guitarist Jeffrey Alexander, or more likely, the vocal screams and warbles of Marina Lazzara—aren’t afraid to lose themselves.
That’s not to say that each of these musicians doesn’t have their time in the spotlight. Mendriatta’s violin will jump, take flight, and soar. Bosco’s drums will shake, rattle, and roll. Lucas’ bass catchy lines wander reflectively in listeners’ heads, and Alexander’s wah-wahing guitar is often drenched in a hazy, fuzz distortion.
Though Lazzara’s singing—or are vocalizations a better term?— aren’t always present, they appear at opportune times to drive pieces forward. However, the best aspect of Live DWLVS is how all the musicians work together to create ethereal psychedelic soundscapes that are truly breathtaking.
Though the singular performance track is comprised of four different songs, Dire Wolves connects them into a seamless live performance. If you’re concentrating, you can feel when these transitions between the four songs occur, but the entire concert feels like it’s meant to be a contained psychedelic soundscape. It’s better that way anyway, as it encapsulates a spectacular journey into the mind, as limitless as the stretches of outer space.
Overall, Dire Wolves’ Milwaukee jam of almost 51 minutes is truly worthy of the “glorious” moniker that one of the sample tracks expresses. Though these types of live psychedelic jams sometimes don’t hold up unless you attend the performance, Live DWLVS transcends space and time with sonic arms outstretched to bring your ears into its world.
It’s a psychedelic magic trick that few can do well, but on Dire Wolves’ Live DWLVS, the band has made it feel effortless.
This review was written by Bill Cooper, who writes about music, films, books, and pop culture in various internet corners like Spectrum Culture. His two greatest urges, discovering new music and writing, keep him up at night and going during the day. The extensive amount of coffee he drinks may also contribute.
You can follow Bill Cooper on Bluesky and his Substack, Bill’s Takes.
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