Wolf bites the bullet

For those unfamiliar with Karl Wolf, he is a pop and R&B singer, songwriter and record producer who as been working in the industry since 2001.

Wolf was born in Lebanon as Karl Abou Samah and was raised in the UAE. He is now based in Canada.

His second album, Bite The Bullet, was recently released and it sounds promising.

The album kicks off with Karl's cover of the infamous song Africa by the band Toto released in 1982.

To cover a song successfully is quite a challenge, but surprisingly, Wolf pulls it off well. The song is an excellent example of Wolf's style that blends many genres with Arab flavours.

She Kicks in the Bass is also a rhythmic number on the album and though Wolf's style is obvious, in this track you get a better taste of his influences. The song definitely touches a chord with early Justin Timberlake material and features some catchy vinyl scratching.

Crazy Things is more of a club song with a hard beat — otherwise, the number is weak in wording and music.

Arab influence

Wolf uses his Arabic heritage quite a lot in the album, but never more so than on the track Like This.

Many artists have tried fusing different styles, but where others have failed miserably, Wolf succeeds. It must be something in Wolf's blood because he carries the the song quite well, making it one of the best tracks on the album.

Carrera, one of the more lyrical ballads on Bite the Bullet, has a slow beat but Wolf sings the vocals in such a way that the song doesn't become boring.

Hits

The best of Wolf's vocal abilities are evident in the title track Bite the Bullet. The song is ideal to play anytime in the background as it has a relaxing feel to it.

Another ballad-esque song, Silent Type, includes beautiful acoustic guitar melodies and is definitely radio friendly, even if the lyrics are boy-wanting-girl clichés.

She Wants to Know is the track that will have you shaking your hips the most. With its catchy beat and heavy Arabic instruments, this is definitely one for the dance floor.

Makes Me Wonder is the best track on the album, and although Wolf's high vocals may be a little overdone here, the rhythm makes up for it.

This is not an upbeat track but it is just right in terms of tempo. This is definitely one of the shining stars of the album.

Misses

A good beat carries into Over but Wolf's vocals suffer in this track. A techno beat is also heavily dominant here and the song comes out as a melange of too many things with no focus.

The worst song on the album is Invader. Full of cheesy synths, Wolf sounds like an ex-member of The Backstreet Boys.

A good song on the album is sadly followed by Professin' My Love. This is definitely one to skip. It's boring and sounds pretty much like everything you have heard before.

Overall feel

Wolf should have brought the album to a close with the track Makes Me Wonder. Instead, it closes with the boring song Hey Girl, which is quite a disappointment.

All in all, for a 13-track album Bite the Bullet is quite impressive. There are only a couple of tracks which perhaps should not have made the final cut, but there is definitely potential.