Jordan Wolfe’s “Different”

With a raging mentality that is as incendiary as it is inviting to the rockers among us, the guitar part that we’re met with at the start of Jordan Wolfe’s “Different” is stylish and swaggering in every way that counts for something. Although there’s an argument to be made that there’s no such thing as a quality rock song without a searing guitar element, that doesn’t make this single sound like any less of a gem this December; contrarily, because of the lack of competition, this string-born magic feels all the more incredible to come across (especially for rock enthusiasts like me). 

SOUNDCLOUD: https://soundcloud.com/user-162528825/different

“Different” features a narrative that isn’t shaped as much by lyricism as it is raw rhythm, and I like that Wolfe isn’t afraid to swing pretty hard at the microphone here. He’s got the confidence to engage with a beat that a lot of his contemporaries would just as soon feel pretty intimidated by, and his desire to incorporate such a blunt groove into the mix here is telling of the kind of songwriter he’s trying to be at this stage of his career. It’s ambitious, but not too experimental to push away mainstream listeners. 

A sense of control shadows every move Wolfe is making at the center of this performance, but I wouldn’t say that he sounds egomaniacal in the arrangement. Instead, I think that “Different” spotlights an artist who wants to embrace the intricacies of a modern rock and the future of the genre as it could stand with the right stewards guiding it there, and although I haven’t heard anyone playing with the moxie this guy is, this could be the reason he’s getting as much love from the press as he is this winter season. He’s doing something rockers have needed for a while, which is preserving old school values while experimenting with the limitations of the model. 

This mix is pretty strong but certainly not the main centerpiece of the material at all. In terms of his attention to detail, the production style here says something about the raw, straightforward kind of a player that Wolfe wants to be at all times – even when he’s getting something huge across to his audience. There’s a time and a place for excess, but if it’s going to be a feature in this artist’s discography, he’s going to include it in such a balanced, substance-centric manner that calling it liberal songcraft just wouldn’t feel accurate to me. 

ANGHAMI: https://play.anghami.com/song/1033286775

I’ll be very curious to hear what Jordan Wolfe is going to record shortly, and though he’s already got a pretty solid sound he’s rocking out in “Different,” I feel like this is just a sample of what he’s developing in the studio at the moment. He’s got the moves and the mentality of a player who belongs in the mainstream over the underground, and as long as he keeps playing with the passion he is here, he’s going to keep getting a lot of accolades from critics and fans the same. 

Michael Rand