Wolf Alice | ||
| Allmusic Biography : An evocative North London alt-rock outfit led by vocalist Ellie Rowsell, Wolf Alice deftly mixes folk, grunge, and electronic elements with vintage 90s indie rock. Formed in 2010 by Rowsell and guitarist Joff Oddie, the duo issued an eponymous EP independently before expanding into a four-piece in 2012 with the addition of drummer Joel Amey and bassist Theo Ellis. The newly minted quartet released a flurry of singles before putting out a proper debut EP, Blush, in 2013. The EP garnered positive reviews, with some critics comparing the group to Elastica, Garbage, the Duke Spirit, and the Pixies. The bands sophomore EP, Creature Songs, followed in 2014. A pair of singles, "Giant Peach" and "Bros," arrived before the Mercury Prize-nominated full-length My Love Is Cool in June 2015. The album also earned Brit, Grammy, and Ivor Novello award nominations. Along with touring, Wolf Alice contributed the song "Ghoster" to the Ghostbusters soundtrack in 2016 and began work on their second album. Written in London and recorded in Los Angeles with producer Justin Meldal-Johnsen, 2017s Visions of a Life featured the singles "Yuk Foo" and "Dont Delete the Kisses," and spanned the bands many sounds. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 4 Title: Blush Released: 2013-10-21 Tracks: 4 Duration: 14:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Blush (04:19) 2 She (03:12) 3 Nosedive (02:46) 4 Ninety Mile Beach (03:44) |
 | Album: 2 of 4 Title: Creature Songs Released: 2014-05-26 Tracks: 4 Duration: 12:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Moaning Lisa Smile (02:40) 2 Storms (03:24) 3 Heavenly Creatures (03:18) 4 Were Not the Same (03:05) |
 | Album: 3 of 4 Title: My Love Is Cool Released: 2015-06-22 Tracks: 13 Duration: 51:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Turn to Dust (03:08) 2 Bros (03:45) 3 Your Loves Whore (04:57) 4 Moaning Lisa Smile (02:40) 5 You’re a Germ (02:53) 6 Lisbon (03:26) 7 Silk (04:04) 1 Freazy (03:14) 2 Giant Peach (04:35) 3 Swallowtail (05:41) 4 Soapy Water (03:42) 5 Fluffy (02:44) 6 The Wonderwhy (06:47) |
| My Love Is Cool : Allmusic album Review : Some bands take their time coming into their own. Such is the case with Wolf Alice, who formed in 2010 but didnt release their debut album until 2015. During those five years, Ellie Rowsell and Joff Oddie -- who were joined by drummer Joel Amey and bassist Theo Ellis in 2012 -- explored styles ranging from folk-rock to gritty post-punk on their singles and EPs. My Love Is Cool reflects this growth and finds them sounding more eclectic than ever. The handful of singles that ended up on the album shows how Wolf Alice have refined their sound: "Fluffy" and "Giant Peach" offer the kind of searing, snarling rock that proves PJ Harvey and Silverfish are still their forebears, while "Moaning Lisa Smile" is both brash and ethereal, providing a bridge for the softer sounds they explore on My Love Is Cool. 4ADs classic roster provides plenty of inspiration for a good chunk of the album, with "Freazy" recalling not only Cocteau Twins glassy sensuality but their penchant for impressionistic song titles. Meanwhile, Rowsells wild-eyed glee as she sings "Im taking you down to hell!" over loud-quiet-loud dynamics on "Youre a Germ" evokes the Pixies, and the delicate opening track "Turn to Dust" has more in common with Blonde Redhead than any of Wolf Alices previous music. Despite these enduringly hip reference points, the band also pulls off some moves on My Love Is Cool that are anything but typically cool. Theyre unafraid of power ballads and grand gestures, and songs like the mini-anthem "Silk" and the sweeping "Bros" -- which sounds like the missing link between Cocteau Twins and the Cranberries -- hint at stadium-sized potential. Later, "Swallowtail" (which features Amey on vocals) suggests the ability Gish-era Smashing Pumpkins had to be intimate and massive at the same time. Despite My Love Is Cools many stylistic shifts, Wolf Alice dont sound like theyre having an identity crisis. This is partly because songs like "Lisbon"s barbed-wire pop tie the albums more disparate elements together, and partly because the band seems self-assured no matter what. Even if My Love Is Cool sacrifices some of Wolf Alices earlier fury, the album is all the stronger for it. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 4 Title: Visions of a Life Released: 2017-09-29 Tracks: 12 Duration: 46:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Heavenward (04:55) 2 Yuk Foo (02:13) 3 Beautifully Unconventional (02:13) 4 Don’t Delete the Kisses (04:35) 5 Planet Hunter (03:52) 6 Sky Musings (02:58) 1 Formidable Cool (03:33) 2 Space + Time (02:27) 3 Sadboy (04:11) 4 St. Purple & Green (04:21) 5 After the Zero Hour (03:24) 6 Visions of a Life (07:57) |
| Visions of a Life : Allmusic album Review : Wolf Alice mastered the glossy and grungy sides of alt-rock on My Love Is Cool, with songs like "Bros" and "Moaning Lisa Smile" earning them accolades that included a Grammy nomination. On Visions of a Life, they explore the wider -- and sometimes wilder -- facets of their music. To that end, they recruited producer Justin Meldal-Johnsen, who toured with the famously chameleonic Beck as his musical director and bassist, and also produced albums for acts as disparate as M83, Paramore, and the Raveonettes. With his help, Wolf Alice both narrow and widen their focus, isolating their bratty, fizzy guitar-pop on "Yuk Foo," "Space & Time," and "Beautifully Unconventional," and delving into the trippier side of their music on "Formidable Cool," "Sadboy," and the title track, which flirts with prog and metal in its ambitious sweep. While these songs reaffirm that Wolf Alice can pull off almost any style of music, Visions of a Lifes most convincing moments build on My Love Is Cools forays into dream pop. Inspired by a late friend of the band, the aptly named opener "Heavenward" is so gorgeous that its tempting to want Wolf Alice to concentrate on this side of their music in the future. Similarly, "Planet Hunter" and "St. Purple & Green" are potent reminders of just how well the band does huge moments, while Ellie Roswells whispers bring intimacy to loves euphoric beginnings on "Dont Delete the Kisses" and its rocky end on "Sky Musings." A reflection of a young band trying out all its possibilities, Visions of a Life is more scattered than My Love Is Cool, but its best songs hint at even more potential. | ||