Ten years after the release of their debut album ‘My Love is Cool’, Wolf Alice teases us with two singles from The Clearing, produced by Greg Kurstin, which is set to be released 22nd August.
We’re confronted by ‘Bloom Baby Bloom’ with a commanding, jazz piano driven, bassy melody supports Rowsell’s erratic vocals, ranging from delicate ‘my despair, masked by a flaw façade’, to a shrieking explosion of frustration ‘I’m so sick and tired of trying to play it hard!’ toying with the audience with beautiful chaos while the thumping drum beat keeps tempo.
The North London quartet catapults us up the musically mountain and usher us back down again, decadently layering the track, with the foundation with the bounce of the piano, later thickening with the addition of twirling guitar scales, echoing harmonies before descending into mania until placing listeners neatly back on their feet with and inspiring lyric ‘Every flower needs to grow up by the weeds’ all with a glowy ‘70s rock overlay, accurately conveying emotions of anger and the subsequent comedown and acceptance.
Above – Wolf Alice BTS at Glastonbury 2025. – Courtesy of their Instagram. – @wolfaliceband
The second single, ‘The Sofa’, couldn’t be more different, an ode to London’s summers, it’s an airy sound with a steady, dusky drum beat and entrancing harmonies, reminiscent of ‘Lipstick on The Glass’ from their 2021 album ‘Blue Weekend’. This song celebrates being present and content with your current situation ‘Didn’t make it out to California, where I thought I’d clean the slate // maybe that’s okay’ and the revels in the comfort of taking the time to relax in front of ‘the reruns on TV’, a stark contrast from their 2021 hit ‘Delicious Things’ but a well-deserved rest after the group’s monumental Glastonbury performance. We’re treated to a whimsical, dreamy orchestral instrumental before the outro that serves to whisk you away to your happy place, no matter where you’re listening. I’ll be revisiting these tracks once the album is released but it’s clear from these two singles that Wolf Alice have continued to tend their musical allotment, only growing stronger as their discography flourishes.