Wolf Alice Album Reviews

Wolf Alice started in 2010 as an acoustic duo when singer Ellie Rowsell and guitarist Joff Oddie met on an internet forum. They added drummer Joel Amey and bassist Theo Ellis in 2012. They released a couple of EPs, before their 2015 album My Love Is Cool.

It’s easy to be dismissive of rock music in the 21st century, but Wolf Alice are deserved critical darlings. Ellie Rowsell is charismatic and interesting, with a huge voice, while the band mixes classic rock like The Beatles and Fleetwood Mac with more modern grunge and shoegaze textures.

10 Best Wolf Alice Songs

Wolf Alice Album Reviews

Blush (EP)

2013

Creature Songs (EP)

2014

My Love Is Cool

2015, 7.5/10
After a couple of EPs, Wolf Alice released their debut album on Dirty Hit. There’s a lot to like – diversity and a charismatic singer. But they’d sharpen their songwriting skills over the next few records.

Because their songwriting hasn’t fully arrived, the best moments rely on passion. The highlight is the high-octane single ‘You’re A Germ’, with Rowsell belting out “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven/You ain’t going to heaven.” ‘Fluffy’ is another intense rocker. The minimalist, stop-start beginning of ‘Your Loves Whore’ is a great touch. ‘Swallowtail’ is an effective change of pace, with drummer Joel Amey singing the first verse, then sharing the microphone with Rowsell.

I’d be more impressed with My Love Is Cool if Wolf Alice hadn’t improved so much since.

Visions of a Life

2017, 8/10
Wolf Alice’s second album builds on their first. It’s more confident, and the songwriting has improved. But the rockers are still often the strongest songs, and the first half is stronger than the second.

The band explained the cover image as “a photo of Ellie’s aunty Helen playing the classic game of ‘dance round the horse’s skull in your Sunday best'”.

Opener ‘Heavenward’ was their most nuanced song yet, brooding and multi-sectioned. ‘Yuk Foo’ is a misleading choice for lead single, but it’s energetic and succinct. ‘Don’t Delete the Kisses’ is one of the band’s most memorable singles. There’s plenty to enjoy in the deep cuts too – the shimmering ‘Planet Hunter’ and the lengthy title track are both excellent.

Wolf Alice continued their development with Visions of a Life, paving the way for 2021’s excellent Blue Weekend.

Blue Weekend

2021, 9/10
Wolf Alice’s third album feels like a step forward, a confident group at the top of their game. Frontwoman Ellie Rowsell is charismatic and interesting, and the band switches between memorable tunes and impactful walls of noise. Blue Weekend has been deservedly successful, debuting at number one in the UK.

Wolf Alice cover a lot of stylistic ground without deviating far from a four-piece band setup – although one notable guest is Owen Pallett on string arrangements. They play bouncy, Beatles-esque pop of ‘Last Man on Earth’ while ‘The Beach II’ recalls shoegaze. The group’s pop-smarts are on display on ‘Lipstick on the Glass’, while the main hook of ‘How Can I Make It OK?’ comes straight from the 1980s

Rowsell takes the limelight on ‘Delicious Things’. It starts terrifically, with Rowsell’s wordless vocals riding over a great chord progression in the intro. It never lets up with Rowswell’s combination of wide-eyed-wonder and pragmatism.

I’m often tempted to write off mainstream rock music as predictable, the last whispers of a dying art-form, but Blue Weekend is vibrant and exciting.

The Clearing

2025, 8.5/10
London alternative band Wolf Alice released an impressive rock album last time around. On their fourth album, they step sideways – frontwoman Ellie Rowsell isn’t playing much guitar, and these songs are sophisticated without sacrificing the band’s edge. Rowsell wrote on the piano, and the songs sometimes reflect sophisticated 1970s pop/rock, like Steely Dan and Fleetwood Mac.

I think we were buoyed by the songier songs being things that people really connected to and we spent a lot more time working on those constituency, songy song parts of the songs. It’s the hardest thing in the world to write a really concise song in a – I don’t wanna say pop structure, but you know what I mean.
Joff Oddie, NME

The album has attracted backlash from longtime fans, who feel betrayed by the shift away from rock. But there’s still muscle, like on ‘Bloom Baby Bloom’ – even though it’s built around piano, it still rocks.

But elsewhere, it delves into more esoteric territory – ‘Just Two Girls’ veers close to sophisticated chamber-pop, while ‘White Horses’ is woozy and pastoral.

The Clearing is a successful evolution for Wolf Alice, keeping their identity intact.