Album Review: Andrew Stockdale - Keep Moving

Sixteen years ago, two of this reviewer's high school mates teamed up with a young Andrew Stockdale for RMIT's Battle of the Bands. With barely a practice session under their belts and with a name decided just before the gig – I think they were called Barney's BBQ Ball – they struggled a bit. Despite the poor start, it was still clear Stockdale had some talent, although it would take seven years before it came to fruition with Wolfmother. However, even then Stockdale had a tendency to dominate the band and problems with this became a recurring theme until Wolfmother was put to bed in 2013.

Prior to this the band recorded a stack of material that forms the basis for Keep Moving, and it's no surprise the album has a real Wolfmother flavour despite it becoming a solo release. Indeed, the first six tracks are vintage 'Mother, effortless Sabbath-style rockers that kick things off beautifully. Songs like Vicarious barrel along while the album's best moment occurs when Stockdale breaks out the arpeggios before launching into the solo for the awesome Meridian. At this point, one wonders just how good the album's going to get but from here it mainly turns from the Wolfmother show to the Stockdale solo one and subsequently loses its momentum as he experiments with styles. Suitcase (One More Time) is a nice beer-soaked ballad, while Stockdale uses plenty of harmonica as he goes into blues rock territory on Standing On The Corner and It Occurred To Me. But at 17 tracks this is way too long and unfocused through the second half. One wonders which direction he'll opt to really focus on.