On
Blue Weekend, the much-loved London band Wolf Alice provide a worthy follow-up to their Mercury Prize winning second album
Visions Of A Life. Producer Markus Dravs is a frequent collaborator of Arcade Fire, and here he has helped Wolf Alice hone an expansive yet intimate sound reminiscent of the Canadian group, and fitting for the huge stages the band are now accustomed to playing.
The formula remains largely the same – singer Ellie Rowsell’s subtly raspy vocals and confessional lyrics buttressed by the grungy indie pop they made their name with – although there are efforts made to deviate from this, with varying success. The catchy, ’80s-tinged ‘How Can I Make It OK?’ is reminiscent of Haim, in the best possible way, but the saccharine ‘Safe From Heartbreak (If You Never Fall In Love)’ and pastel punk ‘Play The Greatest Hits’ seem to lack conviction, on an album which otherwise packs an emotional punch.
“Everything’s a bit more focused on the lyrics and the melody” – An Interview with Wolf Alice
Credit: Jordan Hemingway “Everything’s a bit more focused on the lyrics and the melody” – An Interview with Wolf Alice By Connie Seamer on
After their Mercury Prize-winning
Blue Weekend. I sat down with Ellie and Joel to chat about the new record.
Blue Weekend signals the band’s full realisation of their sound. While it sounds familiar to their previous records, the new album takes Wolf Alice in a new, more mature, direction.
On these differences in the new album’s sound, Ellie quotes another journalist who described it as “fuller and wider, yet simpler”. “I can’t quite elaborate on it but I feel like she got it right”, she says.
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