Peter Wolf Crier sounds like an indie rock band trapped in a transistor radio. Their debut album Inter-Be isa beautiful mess of sound full of melody, rhythm and vintage grit.

 

PWC’s inception was as organic as the band’s sound; on a single summer’s night Peter Pisano had an outpouring of creativity, laid down some demos, took those tacks to Brian Moen, and together they crafted Inter-Be. Thus Peter Wolf Crier was born. Inter-Be is rooted in guitar, drums and Pisano’s voice—sometimes a velvety baritone, sometimes raspy falsetto, but always honest-sounding—with the occasional piano or organ tastefully placed atop. PWC’s freshman catalogue ranges from indie rock songs (“Hard as Nails”), to stripped down acoustic pop gems (“Playwright”), to bluesy gospel anthems (“You’re So High”). And it’s how all the parts add up to the whole that make PWC’s sound so interesting. Some songs, such as “Untitled 101,” start off with a relatively simple and straightforward acoustic guitar until Moen slams in with a distorted drumbeat that immediately raises the stakes of the song. Other songs, such as “Hard as Nails,” continuously build into the unexpected—this song in particular reaches a finale consisting of 18 vocal tracks of fevered falsetto howls.

 

Being a two-piece, and wanting to keep it that way, putting the puzzle back together each night on tour poses challenges, but PWC finds creative ways to recreate the sound of Inter-Be on stage. The band creates loops live, often stacking half a dozen vocal harmonies, and Pisano plays organ bass pedals with his feet. And for a band that sounds right at home in the studio, Pisano and Moen also have an obvious love for the stage. Feeding off audiences, PWC likes to turn up the rock live. Pisano also has a hell of a talent for using his effects pedals to create wrenching sound designs that fill the room.

 

Riding the success of their debut album, Peter Wolf Crier is logging dates across the country and already planning to head back to the studio in March of 2011 to start work on a second album. The band has taken what started as a spark in the head of a quality songwriter and flourished between an obviously special pairing of talented musicians, and run with it. And if Inter-Be is the standing testament to what these two are capable of, let’s hope there’s plenty more where it came from. | Matthew Treon