Returning to making music after a near decade away from the craft, Ri Wolf’s triumphant return on ‘Elemental’ is a country music statement piece. The acoustic guitar driven record sees the Texas based artist delivering track after track of delightful country/Americana music that gets you right in the soul. From the first track ‘Two Wild Horses’, you’re immediately drawn into to the soundscape that Wolf so vividly evokes. You want to run across the prairie, experience the lavishness of the world around you, and do it all while accompanied by who you love the most.
There’s a ruggedness, a rawness, and an undeniable grit that pervades across Elemental. It feels like a true Americana record, inspired by the classics and filled with a sincerity and emotion that’s truly undeniable. The quaint and emotional backdrop of ‘Queen of Canadian County’, the flurry and infectious chorus of ‘Hurricane’, and the more solemn and gritty style that’s distinctively unique on ‘Blood Red River’ all showcase a whole spread of diverse takes and approaches to the overarching Americana theme that Elemental works in.
Elemental is a record for country fans undoubtedly. It works best for Wolf’s powerful vocal performance and eloquent expressiveness. There’s a drive to each song, a feeling that extends over and beyond the base emotion of every track. Elemental feels larger than life, with each song almost making you believe in something larger than your own life entails. It’s an inspiring record, one that will make you crave for experiences and emotions you haven’t yet had the pleasure to have.