Vanderwolf Returns with Lead Single “Sweep Away The Shards”

LA-by-way-of-NYC psych-rocker Vanderwolf is back with a fiery new LP titled The Great Bewilderment (due March 29th). The expansive lead single titled, “Sweep Away The Shards,” is tinged with R&B and prog rock, bouncing gently upon a bed of swaying synthesizers as Vanderwolf puts his vocal range on full display.

Regarding the single, Vanderwolf states:

“Most of us have known someone who lived in an enlightened or ethereal state, their feet barely touching the ground. While someone so tenuously connected to day-to-day practicalities can be enchanting or inspirational, it can also be very frightening when we witness them go tragically adrift. ‘Sweep Away the Shards’ is the story of a beautiful friend who became increasingly untethered to the world we both knew, and my inability to hold on to her.”

Describing the record on the whole, Vanderwolf says:

“The Great Bewilderment is a complexly layered reflection of my recent years courting chaos and rootlessness, arriving, leaving, settling and unsettling. It’s a collection of interweaving hellos and goodbyes. It’s about leaving certain things behind and, conversely, claiming those things that can be known in the here and now. It’s about coming to terms with a sense of place — after a long period of exile and some self-imposed restlessness. Finally, it is about what can be known. And what can be appreciated as truly valuable in this world despite the bewildering context of war and mass extinction.”

Vanderwolf’s acclaimed 2021 solo debut, 12 Little Killers, saw the native New Yorker roam around garage rock, glam, Americana, psych, and blues, with the vocals willfully varied. Here, his scope is generally more epic. Vanderwolf remains an explorer, but The Great Bewilderment finds him more focused despite his wide-ranging vision.

Awarded four stars by Mojo, 12 Little Killers was written and recorded during Vanderwolf’s final years in London following the break-up of his semi-legendary London band Last Man Standing, whose sole album 2007’s False Starts & Broken Promises received plaudits from Mojo and Uncut, among others. The Great Bewilderment’s eight songs were mostly written or recorded during the pandemic.

“12 Little Killers grew out of restlessness, personal mistakes and chaos, much of which continued into the pandemic: I lost a friend and mentor in (record producer) Hal Willner, my father died and I never lived anywhere for more than a few months.’’

The Great Bewilderment will be available via all DSPs on February 28th.

The Great Bewilderment Track Listing:

1. A’Coming Home
2. The 6.09
3. Sweep Away the Shards
4. Gaza
5. Love Stay Strong
6. The Book Of Dread
7. The Here & Now
8. Gratitude Suite

Vanderwolf ‘The Great Bewilderment’ album artwork