Wolfmother Lays a Cosmic Egg

After three years of silence, Wolmother returns with their sophomore effort, Cosmic Egg. Singer-songwriter Andrew Stockdale channels his inner Robert Plant for track after track of in-your-face 1970s hard rock. Larger-than-life riffs, extended guitar solos, and thundering bass lines make up the majority of the album. All topped off with Stockdale's impressive wail. This formula is best exemplified on songs such as "New Moon Rising," "California Queen," and "In the Castle."

With the tracks "Violence of the Sun" and "Far Away," Stockdale slows things to mid-tempo mediocrity. In the worst attempt at a power ballad in recent history, the wheels fall off with "Caroline."

After a solid start, the disc wears thin in the middle third -- risks with mixed musical results. Cosmic Egg is the equivalent of a musical appetizer leading up to a Zeppelin entrée. While the new collection may satisfy existing fans, it is unlikely to attract new listeners. I reserve hope for these guys, though, based on a number of shining moments sprinkled throughout the album. Unfortunately, the major mark is missed with this release. I suggest downloading “New Moon Rising,” at most, or perhaps skipping this one altogether in favor of their 2006 s/t debut.

• Album title: Cosmic Egg
• Artist: Wolfmother
• Label: Modular
• Songs: (1) California Queen (2) New Moon Rising (3) White Feather (4) Sundial (5) In The Morning (6) 10,000 Feet (7) Cosmic Egg (8) Far Away (9) Pilgrim (10) In The Castle (11) Phoenix (12) Violence Of The Sun