Wolf Alice - Visions of a Life

Wolf Alice
Visions of a Life
2017
Spotify

In 2015 Wolf Alice's debut record My Love is Cool brought around a renewed appreciation for rock that had been missing for sometime. The band seem inspired by the best of rock from the 90s, but nothing ever seems like a throwback. Rather they take the sounds, take the emotions and find that universal truth that lies within. At times it's Slowdive shoegaze and then others Arctic Monkeys straight up rock like on "Yuk Foo". Singer Ellie Roswell cuts right to the core of things at times almost able to capture an Alice Glass like sound while at other times singing large and beautifully. Her range, not note wise but more in terms of delivery is so massive that it seems like there is almost nothing that she can't do. "Beautifully Unconventional" is just that, the third track comes out of nowhere with this pure stripped down rock but with a huge echo put on Roswell's vocal to give it depth. Justin Meldal-Johnson produced this record and his previous work includes Paramore's After Laughter. His influence can be felt large as the hooks feel a little tighter and a pop influence is only barely allowed to creep in maintaining Wolf Alice's stellar cred. Tracks like "Don't Delete the Kisses" are clearly grounded in synthpop which should be out of Wolf Alice's sphere of influence but they throw away any ego surrounding genre in search of better music, and they succeed.

Their sound is so welcoming, it feels comfortable yet still edgy in the greatest way. "Sky Musings" is another song that employs the speaking rather than singing delivery and it does feel like one to many for the record even though it is a pretty damn interesting tune. I've said it before, but it is so great when a album especially a rock and roll record really surprises you and Visions of a Life does that around every turn. "Formidable Cool" is such a slick track and honestly outside of Wolf Alice's wheelhouse but they pull it off expertly. The record simply flies by and before you open your eyes the whole thing has slipped away. Visions of a Life is honest and raw but then produced perfectly so that it doesn't feel thrown together or DIY. Often with rock music people will forget that it is not always about how gritty you can get, sometimes you need to pepper in some sweetness with that spice. Wolf Alice have done it again and it seems like they are going to keep doing it, great news for us because their record just keep getting better.

8.8 out of 10