Afton Wolfe Ophiuchus
Admirers of Tom Waits & singers of that ilk will find Afton interesting. While his voice is not like “Louis Armstrong” as Tom Waits is, he does have a raw, indulgent tone that’s absorbing as it accompanies a light guitar touch & deft storytelling. His range is fragile, but that’s part of his charm since he knows how to control it. Both “Dream Song” & “Crooked Roads” have nostalgic depth. Especially “Roads” with its Euro-accordion gentleness. Beautiful tune.
There are 13 treatments to the self-produced Ophiuchus (Drops Nov 26/Independent/Grandiflora Records), recorded in Nashville. The album title refers to the 13th sign of the Zodiac & a constellation northwest of the Milky Way. This is where Afton (vocals/Seagull guitars) begins his musical concept.
There’s a lot of style woven into each song by Afton Wolfe. The arrangements are acute, taking into consideration the atmosphere & mood of each melody. Where Tom Waits explores noirish environments, experiments with instruments & found sounds, Afton is a purveyor of melodies with pastel hues, rhythmic punches, & nightclub coquetry. The music is suave, at times jazzy with undertows – “Rushing Back” is superb. With its country guitars, jazzy piano & avant-garde horns whispering in the back alley. Late-night radio fodder for those who have insomnia during a night of downpours & need some music with their last call whiskey. This is music that calls up imagery in the mind. By the coda, the haunting chorale of disembodied voices could be deemed creepy, but they’re actually like memories coming to the surface.
More aggressive is “One Million Children” with the military drums pushing back on the sawing barbed violins. Afton is fortifying throughout. This is not your daddy’s disco music. Almost as dirge-like as The Pauper’s “Yes I Know,” this arrangement has what the old rock band Steppenwolf often applied to songs like “The Wall.”
The most soulful track is “Forgive Yourself,” which is a wild, well-muscled Elmer Gantry romp with soulful singers. Afton’s snake oil voice with Courtney Santana, Daniel Seymour’s husky bass & a deep Seth Fox sax growl borderlines on commercial since it has lots of lift & a chugging Jake Patterson lead guitar with Madison George’s drums held tight on a leash. Nice.
A bit more mystical & keeping with the title of Afton’s album is “Invocation” with a mélange of ethereal instruments, sinewy strength & multiple voices that chisel away at the progressive rock-like Euro arrangement. Something Vangelis would have done with Greek rock singer Demis Roussos in their avant-garde band Aphrodite’s Child. This is captivating & quite compelling.
Highlights – “Dream Song,” “Crooked Roads,” “Rushing Back,” & “Forgive Yourself.”
Color image courtesy of Allison Gower. Music samples are available on Afton’s website. CD @ https://aftonwolfe.com/home
Song Premiere: https://americanahighways.org/2025/02/11/song-premiere-afton-wolfe-forgive-yourself/
