Alt-indie rock fans are today rejoicing in the news that genre favourites Wolf Alice will be releasing their third studio record this summer.
Yesterday the band revealed that ‘Blue Weekend’ will be available for streaming on 11th June 2021, coming four years after their sophomore release ‘Visions Of A Life’.
Wolf Alice said on twitter: “We really put our heart and soul into this record and we cannot wait for you to hear it.”
If ‘The Last Man On Earth’, the bands new single, is anything to go by, fans of the London alternates could be in for their biggest, most endearing project yet. From the offset, minor piano keys set a melancholic backdrop for Ellie Rowsell’s subdued, saddened and beautifully enunciated vocals which paint the picture of one succumbed to arrogance and self-importance, who misses the point of love and who thinks they are always “the first person here” and “the last man on the Earth”.
In archetypal Wolf Alice fashion, a high-pitched, ghostly backing combined with Rowsell’s elevated pitch whisks you away into an almost dreamlike landscape. Of course, the ethereal build acts only as a lead into the song’s crescendo, which introduces a blockade of drums and guitar that grow in intensity, throwing the song off course temporarily before cueing Rowsell to shift into her uniform, punky approach.
This old school Rowsell, characteristically seen on the the bands first project ‘My Love Is Cool’, is less prevalent in this track and is seen more in the reverb and backing, giving centre stage to the singer’s wondrous notes that makes the vocals alone emotive enough to inspire feeling in the listener. Her vocal range and different singing styles on show both compliment and juxtapose one another; it’s a combination that’s unusual, but one that few bands like Wolf Alice can master.
‘The Last Man On The Earth’ is classic Wolf Alice in song structure, starting softly and ending as a tirade of emotion, but gives space to Rowsell to truly demonstrate her ability as a frontman. Wolf Alice are infamously reserved in making music, unlike many mainstream groups, having only released two albums in six years. Though, with each new project, the band becomes more adventurous, with Rowsell garnering a more alluring, demonstrative singing style each time around; with ‘Blue Weekend’, it seems we can expect an even greater show of feeling, skill and exploration.