The Album

Album cover designed by Christie Roberts.

Ahoy, me magical mateys! On January 20 of 2021, I posted in the Wizard Rock Revival Facebook group:

Wizard rock sea shanties. Discuss.

Sixty comments and a whole lot of ideas later, I decided that there was enough interest to create a wizard rock sea shanty compilation. I am so pleased to present to you the review of Hut on the Wrock: a Sea Shanty Comp. I had a whole lot of fun organizing it, and I hope that you will have just as much fun listening. Let’s haul away and get kraken!

The Tracks

The first song is from Karl-Johan Norén, and is simply called: Hut on the Wrock. Inspired by the title of the comp, I knew that this had to be the first track on the album. With a singular voice and meta lyrics, the simple melody carries with it a powerful message. I am absolutely in love with the sound of this song, and I truly believe it was the perfect way to start the comp.

The Tale of Hagrid is next. Geoff of Dream Quaffle has an incredible voice and I cannot wait for him to release more music. His instrumentals in the background, solo voice, lyrics, and harmonies all come together to create an amazing shanty. I am 100% obsessed with this song and WILL be listening to it on repeat.

A steady drum beat accompanies Cat, Rat, and Dog by Hogwarts Therapist. This song is about the end of Prisoner of Azkaban, which happens to be my favorite book. The lyrics are very clever and the harmonies are executed perfectly. I really loved this song.

The first wind instrument of the comp starts off the song Sailing on Past Azkaban. A drum accompanies the vocals, which tell about how goblins are better than wizards because you’ll never see a goblin in Azkaban. I loved the simple melody that split into harmonies at the very end. This song is by Gringotts Girls!

I was so excited when my partner said that he wanted to do his own wrock sea shanty. He has helped me with previous albums but this is his first wizard rock song that’s totally his own! Castle Durmstrang *explicit* is all about the students of Durmstrang and how they won’t be beat. The fast tempo paired with the snarky lyrics, combined with the low vocal performance makes me smile every time I listen to it.

Beauxbatons Ladies has a melody that is performed by Dots and Lines, but during the chorus, a whole chorus of folks (yes I did that on purpose) come in to support the main voice. This song in particular serves as a wonderful reminder of the beautiful things we can do when we collaborate together. I absolutely loved hearing all these wizard rockers in one song. The magic of friendship strikes again!

While not usually known for being a wizard rocker, Daniel Kelly released a Harry Potter themed set of songs in January of 2021. I thought his style of music would be a perfect fit for this comp, so when he sent me I Wish I Was a Gryffindor I knew that it would indeed fit right in! This song is upbeat, bouncy, and has terrific harmonies.

Beauxbatons Girls features main vocals by Ian O’Donnell with backing vocals by two other wrockers from this comp, Geoff Hutton and Kathy Kavanaugh. A parody of Cape Cod Girls, this saucy song tells tales of snogging the lovely girls from Beauxbatons school. I love the repetitive melody and how the harmonies fit in.

I have been a long time fan of Pottörhead‘s music, so when they submitted Row Harry Row I was super excited. Safe to say, they did not disappoint. This song is about Harry and Dumbledore trying to find the locket horcrux in the cave by the sea at the end of the sixth book. I loved the hearty vocal performance paired with the stark lyrics.

The Weirdos Are Out uses elements of eerie wind instruments and the sounds of wind rustling in the trees in The Army of Dumbledore. It’s a hauntingly beautiful song that really captures the fighting spirit of the students in Dumbledore’s Army and what they fight for.

I am absolutely obsessed with the harmonies in Island in the Cave by Sonorus. It’s a slower song that tells the story of Regulus and Kreacher. Sad and forlorn, the swaying melody carries us on their journey. The lyrics are heartbreaking and the vocal performance is just divine.

Durmstrang by Potterwatch incorporates many amazing elements in their song, from a solo string player to incredible harmonies to the very end where it sounds like someone turning the radio dial to pick up different channels. This upbeat song has an awesome melody and the lyrics describe the story of Durmstrang’s students when they travel to Hogwarts for the Triwizard Tournament.

My song is last, Hut on the Rock on the Sea. This was the first song I ever wrote from Vernon Dursley’s point of view, and I had so much fun with it. Fun fact: I had to record this right after I woke up because that’s the only time of day my voice can naturally go that low.

In Summary

I am so thrilled that I was able to create this compilation with the help of all of these wonderful people. I had a ton of fun and I continue to be amazed by the quality of music that this community keeps producing. Huge thank you and props to each and every musician that agreed to be part of this comp. We couldn’t have created this amazing thing without you!