Wolf Alice Enters 'The Clearing' with Their Most Self-Assured and Mature Album to Date - Atwood Magazine

      They’re blossoming, baby, blossoming: Wolf Alice’s fourth album, ‘The Clearing,’ signifies a daring new phase of evolution and reinvention for the English band, merging punk origins with expansive alt-rock sounds, cinematic outros, and a fresh lyrical intimacy.

      Stream: ‘The Clearing’ – Wolf Alice

      Wolf Alice are Mercury Prize-winning artists who have garnered attention from Charli XCX and the Grammy Awards along the way. After a long wait of four years, the creators behind “Don’t Delete the Kisses” return with their fourth studio effort, The Clearing.

      Theo Ellis, Joff Oddie, Joel Amey, and Ellie Rowsell initially teased this album with “Bloom Baby Bloom,” a single that aptly highlights themes of self-assurance and growth.

      Introducing The Clearing with “Bloom Baby Bloom,” the track that leans most towards punk rock, was an evident yet somewhat misleading choice. While this sound is what Wolf Alice is well-known for among their supporters, the other songs exhibit a distinctly different sonic profile.

      The band seems to have transitioned from their punk-centric roots to a more alternative rock sound. (I’ve seen descriptions likening it to 70’s-inspired rock, but I wouldn't concur with that assessment.)

      Some of their new tracks evoke other alternative artists, such as Khruangbin’s guitar tone on “Safe in the World,” Lana Del Rey’s soft vocals on “Leaning Against The Wall,” and Clairo’s playful piano on “Just Two Girls.” Whether this is deliberate remains uncertain, but it’s not necessarily a negative aspect either.

      “Just Two Girls” also builds on the themes present in Wolf Alice’s earlier hit “Bros.” This new track emphasizes empowering female friendships, paired with an engaging pop-influenced instrumental.

      “I was inspired by having dinner with my friends,” Rowsell mentioned in a press release, “a few friends, at different times, just one-on-one. I realized how often I was saying ‘Oh my god, yes you’re so right!’ and I found it lovely to see how affirming these conversations with my girlfriends can be and how much I’m learning from these discussions.”

      The outros, in particular, are distinct and surprising in almost every song. “Play It Out” shifts to an almost circus-like 3/4 soft keyboard sound. “Bread Butter Tea Sugar” concludes with Rowsell whispering about “coming into a clearing,” which feels almost secretive — an inventive nod to the album’s title.

      “Under the shadow of a mountain,

      I pay no mind to move.

      There is still some scattered light,

      It warms me up like it could reach me inside.

      And then I come into a clearing,

      And then I come into a clearing,

      And I come into a clearing.”

      – “Bread Butter Tea Sugar,” Wolf Alice

      A friend recently suggested that Wolf Alice should have ended the album with “Leaning Against the Wall” instead of “The Sofa,” arguing that the song’s lyrics, particularly about love being our “greatest performance,” seemed to encapsulate the album’s main themes more than “The Sofa.”

      “The Sofa” has a sound reminiscent of “How Can I Make It Ok,” “The Last Man on Earth,” and the introspective, almost theatrical tracks that make Wolf Alice so captivating. You can either dance at their concert or shed tears… or you can thrash around to “White Horses” in solitude. They blend hardcore and alternative elements, introspective in a way that resonates effortlessly with listeners.

      Even if The Clearing isn’t Wolf Alice’s greatest work, this new release firmly establishes itself as a significant contribution to the band’s discography.

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      Wolf Alice Makes a Triumphant Return with the Boldly Defiant “Bloom Baby Bloom”:: TODAY'S SONG ::

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      © Rachel Fleminger Hudson

      an album by Wolf Alice