Wolf Alice - Visions Of A Life
Camden outfit Wolf Alice’s 2015 debut ‘My Love is Cool’ detailed love, friendship, and anger, amidst intrepid indie and noise-rock instrumentals. Its follow up ‘Visions of a Life’ is a grower, but easily matches the quality of its predecessor.
A shift in stylistic direction is apparent from the opening whirrs of Heavenward. Building and building before dropping into glorious harmonies, it opens an album that’s less ‘pop’ sonically, and rawer, and more honest lyrically. Ramping up the tempo, Yuk Foo is purified angst, while Beautifully Unconventional is the closest thing to a radio friendly song on the record. Its slightly Americana sound crops up in bursts throughout the album, merging seamlessly with the ethereal Wolf Alice are known for doing best.
This record is notably more personal than the first. Lead singer and chief songwriter Ellie Rowsell’s lyrics leave ambiguity behind, recounting gritty memories in bitter detail, of seedy male figures (Formidable Cool), frustration with being told what to do (Yuk Foo) and the feeling of being lost (Sky Musings). Like diary entries, each song brims with emotions of one form or another, taking the mood of the music with them. It’s clearer than ever that Wolf Alice are one of the best bands in a generation. Difficult second album who?
8/10
