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From Echo and the Bunnymen to The Coral, Liverpool has a history of producing bands that have looked to combine classic tunesmithery with a taste for the unconventional. But while Peter and the Wolf’s vocalist/stand-up drummer/double bass line-up is an intriguing proposition amid the abounding hoards of competent indie strummers, it would be a mistake to overstate any perceived zaniness. Quite simply, if 'Storyteller' sounds unusual, it is because it packs more imagination, charm and musicianship into little over fifteen minutes than many celebrated outfits display over entire careers.
Recorded in singer Marc Sunderland’s bedroom studio, these half dozen meticulously crafted, almost entirely acoustic songs hint coyly at a myriad of influences while ultimately sounding like nothing else around. Opener 'Showdown' sets out the band’s stall with its stop-start dynamics, unexpected melodic shifts and drummer Donna Dosanjh’s Kim Deal-like harmonies. Meanwhile 'Tommy”'has a campfire feel and might have been written by The La’s had they ever been washed up on some exotic, Latin American shoreline.
Sunderland’s voice is impressive throughout: rich yet measured, able to soar when necessary, but more often relying on the vocal interplay with Dosanjh to snare the listener. His finger picked guitar is controlled, and gives songs such as the folky, slightly sinister 'Mercy' a taut momentum which benefits from Hugo Harrison’s warm, sympathetic double bass. Lyrically the band eschew empty generalities, but often employ an enigmatic, slightly archaic way with words, turning odd phrases so that songs accumulate a mythic quality reminiscent of old folk standards and half-forgotten lullabies.
Given these songs’ quiet assurance and lack of bombast massive commercial success seems unlikely. But Peter And The Wolf deserve and look likely to attract a devoted following of discerning fans. If they can follow 'Storyteller' with an equally accomplished full album debut they could prove to be one of the finds of 2006.
