After years of waiting and teases on their social media, Wolf Alice’s newest record, The Clearing, is finally here.
Hailing from London, Wolf Alice is a rock indie band featuring the talents of lead singer Ellie Rowsell and musicians Joff Oddie, Theo Ellis & Joel Amey. They made their debut ten years ago, releasing their first studio album My Love Is Cool in summer 2015. The album was received well by critics and early fans, with the song ‘Moaning Lisa Smile’ being nominated for a Grammy.
Following this, they subsequently released Visions of a Life (2017) and Blue Weekend (2021), both of which were critically acclaimed. Their songs have gone on to be featured in various hit blockbusters and series, such as ‘Silk’ in T2 Trainspotting (2017) and the viral TikTok track ‘Don’t Delete The Kisses’ in Netflix’s Heartstopper (2022-present).
I actually discovered the band through Heartstopper and have been a loyal fan ever since! Obviously, I was super excited for this new release, but I couldn’t help but wonder— could anything top their previous album Blue Weekend?
The success of ‘Blue Weekend’
The Clearing has been long awaited after the critical and commercial success of Blue Weekend. Not only was the album nominated for a Mercury Prize, but it also received an incredible score of 91% on Metacritic. It debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, proving to be their most successful work yet.
After hearing ‘Don’t Delete The Kisses’ via Heartstopper, I immediately delved into the band’s discography. Of all their albums, this one struck me the hardest on my initial listen. Blue Weekend ventures into various genres, from hazy dream-pop and sweeping piano ballads to more classic alt-rock sounds. It is a diverse project, showcasing both Ellie Rowsell’s staggering vocal range and the band’s boundless creative steam.
Blue Weekend’s confessional lyrical style is also something that drew me to this album. It covers a varied topical terrain, exploring heartbreak, the human condition, self-discovery and friendship. The songs possess a feeling of rawness and authenticity, a rare quality in today’s music scene.
With a music video for each track and a mid-length YouTube film, Wolf Alice showcased a clear musical and aesthetic vision for the project. Each track unfolds like a chapter of a cohesive story, with every chord, lyric, and unique vocal intonation serving a purpose.
My love for this album meant I was a little fearful for The Clearing’s release. I couldn’t fathom how they could release anything better, and I was worried that they might try to replicate Blue Weekend’s sound and vibe. Once they’ve found a successful formula, many bands tend to cling onto it until it loses its impact. Luckily for me, Wolf Alice is no ordinary band…
The promotion
They kicked off The Clearing’s promotion with the release of the punchy and experimental indie-rock song ‘Bloom Baby Bloom’ in May. Immediately, I fell in love with this new era.
The song’s lyrics discuss personal growth and discovering one’s self-worth, comparing this process to a flower blooming. It also acknowledges that to ‘bloom’, one must experience hardships and difficult experiences, with the lines —’Yes, I’ll bloom, baby, bloom/Every flower needs to neighbor with the dirt’ — poetically capturing this sentiment.
This was followed by the release of ‘The Sofa’ in July, a dreamy song about yearning and indecision. In a recent interview with NME, Ellie Rowsell explained the single’s meaning. She claims it is about “not trying so hard to figure everything out” and coming to grips with the past and what lies in front of you.
The third and final promotional single ‘White Horses’ was released in early August. It is an upbeat song about about figuring out your identity, with production that is distinctly reminiscent of 1970s soft-rock artists. Upon their initial announcement of The Clearing, the band claimed that the album sounded ‘as if Fleetwood Mac wrote an album in North London’, which was the vibe I got from this track.
The shift from Blue Weekend’s dreamy sound to these classic pop and rock-inspired singles sparked my excitement. From the singles alone, I went into the album expecting something new and unique from Wolf Alice. And that’s exactly what I got.
The album’s strengths
One thing that I really liked about the album was its clipped runtime. With only eight new tracks and a short 40 min runtime, fans may be expecting more after four year of hype. However, the brevity of the project solidified to me that Wolf Alice values quality over quantity. There’s not a single song on the track list I would skip!
Producer Greg Kurstin infuses each song with a timeless feel, with the album’s stripped-back instrumentals contributing to this. The minimalistic sound and structure of each track allows Rowsell’s powerful vocals to shine through.
Another aspect of the album I enjoyed was its light-hearted lyricism. In a recent interview with British Vogue, Rowsell confessed the aim of this new project was to move away from the serious themes of Blue Weekend, which I think they achieve well.
Songs like ‘Passenger Seat’ and ‘Leaning Against The Wall’ convey an positive outlook on romantic relationships. They mark a distinct shift from the poignant ballads about love’s failures and heart-break in their previous album. The jaunty ‘Bread Butter Tea Sugar’ takes pleasure in how messy and unpredictable life can be, implying a pivot towards more optimistic lyrical topics.
That said, there are still some dark and pensive tracks on the record. One such example is ‘Play It Out’, a personal favorite of mine on the record. This evocative and haunting song explores the pressures women face surrounding ageing and the limitations of their ‘biological clock’. The lyrics see Rowsell questioning where her life is going and what the future has in store for her.
Final thoughts
Overall, the new musical direction Wolf Alice takes in The Clearing was refreshing to hear. They have repeatedly proven themselves to be a chameleonic band, constantly evolving and improving their sound with each release.
The album’s key themes of regeneration, growth and self-improvement really spoke to me on my first listen. I think the world is in need of some playful and optimistic soft-rock at the moment, and Wolf Alice certainly delivered!
Most music critics have gushed over The Clearing, with its Metacritic score currently standing at 80%. Though this is notably lower than Blue Weekend’s rating, I feel that the album is a ‘grower.’ With time, critics and fans alike will come to love this project and appreciate its message and nostalgic sound.
If I have to wait another four years for a new Wolf Alice album, I’ll gladly hang around. Regardless of how long it takes, I know they’ll release something truly special!
Standout tracks: ‘Play It Out’, ‘Leaning Against The Wall’, ‘White Horses’, ‘Thorns’, ‘The Sofa’
