Wolf Alice

[Enjoyed]

With all the love for the band around the forum, I'm surprised we didn't have a dedicated topic!

I'm not sure I should be the one to truly kick things off, having only really started to listen to them in the last few weeks - but I have completely fallen in love. I've been listening to The Sofa most mornings while I'm making coffee. It's fantastic. And Blue Weekend is the first album I've come back to over and over in a while.

Very much looking forward to the new album next week. The first two singles have been brilliant, and White Horses promises a continued level of quality.

I MAY even go see them when they come to Portland later in the year. Unfortunately it's at my least favourite venue, and is a little on the pricey side - but we'll see after I pick up the album next Friday

Thanks to everyone who kept posting about them! And shoutout to YouTube Music for finally getting me out of my own way when it comes to listening to new music.

[shakermaker]

Love Wolf Alice. I've seen them a couple of times on US tours, they are a great live band. I am still warming up to the new material - the lead single did not get things off to a good start for me, but I remain open minded until I hear the full album.

My favorites from their back catalog - 

[ThePumisher]

Finaly

[Enjoyed]

[ThePumisher]

Because the Albums, EPs, singles (+ the not so often b-sides) and non-album tracks are easy to find and listen to, i would like to throw in some covers they did for various radio stations and streaming service. The did a lot of them, but my favourite ones are:

Song To The Siren [Tim Buckley] for Spotify

Good Riddance [Green Day] for BBC Radio 1

Never Be The Same [Camila Cabello] for BBC Radio 1

I also wonder why they never released this song and instead only played it on two or three festivals =>

Hold Up Your Lighters

The first two singles have been brilliant, and White Horses promises a continued level of quality.

Not really into White Horses right now but Thorns seems to be nice

[Bosco]

If I start liking the band, does that mean @Csar comes back?

[ThePumisher]

If I start liking the band, does that mean @Csar comes back?

Would be nice, but i dunno whats going with him or his account. The post in "What really grinds my gears" was weird...

[Bosco]

Would be nice, but i dunno whats going with him or his account. The post in "What really grinds my gears" was weird...

[ThePumisher]

Not really into White Horses right now but Thorns seems to be nice

That changed after giving White Horses a couple more spins.


So now that the album is released, here's my two cents:

• Bloom Baby Bloom: Good
• White Horses: Good
• Thorns: Okayish i think
• The Sofa: Top 5 Track of all Wolf Alice tracks
• Every other song on that album: I will probably never ever listen to you again except on concerts where i have no choice...

And what really grinds my gears: I also bought the Bloom 7" because of the b-side they made a total secret about. Turns out it's Thorns. So i paid extra money for two tracks that are already on the album. Good thing is i haven't unwrapped it - it's still sealed. Maybe in 2 or 5 years i can make some money for it on Discogs...



They changed from an independent label (Dirty Hit) to a major label (Sony) after Blue Weekend. That could explain the "we present every 14 days an alternative version of The Clearing because fuck you" (Taylor Swift is doing the same right now even though she is her own record label..) and the "look, a 7" single with b-side and oh, it's not a real b-side but thanks for the money anyway". I wonder if it was also Sonys idea of booking the second largest indoor venue we have here in Cologne for there upcoming tour stop even though the last time they've played (two years ago? Maybe three? Blue Weekend tour) here was in one of ghe smallest venues and it wasn't even sold out. Crowded yes, but not sold out.

[Enjoyed]

I'm so sorry about the sneaky corpo pre-order tactics, Pum. It sucks to have a bad taste in your mouth around a band you've invested so much time and care into.

This is the first album of their I've picked up a copy of, and was very excited to stick it on while I put up some shelving the other day. That was, until I read your little review and I started to get a little nervous!

It's definitely a LOT more accessible/pop-leaning than their previous work - but I usually find that to be some of the best output from bands. Foals going more pop after their math-rock debut was a brilliant thing, IMHO.
That said, I can totally see long-time fans being quite disappointed. It's a different sound for sure. Though, dare I say a vibe that "How Can I Make It OK?" did somewhat allude to.

I think you're totally right about The Sofa. It's a phenomenal track. I also think Bloom Baby Bloom is up there too.
And White Horses is basically Wolf Alice meets King Gizzard - which is just awesome.

I'm personally a big fan of Just Two Girls as well. It's cute (though I will admit, I thought the lyrics were "Just two girls, at the bar, like to kiss, in the park" - and was all on board the lesbian hype train - until I read the booklet and saw that it's about two gal pals having an extra deep connection) and a solid slice of pop bop.

Sounds like you still plan to go see them when they're next in your area, right? I think I'll be picking up some tickets soon too!

[shakermaker]

I find it kinda boring TBH. I tried to put it on for another listen today, and ended up turning it off and listened to wet leg instead.

[ThePumisher]

Sounds like you still plan to go see them when they're next in your area, right? I think I'll be picking up some tickets soon too!

Still got my ticket (which for some reason is just a qr-code - no real ticket or something you can print), but also a bit nervous the venue they've booked is too large. I'm in no need to be standing in a penguin colony, but too much space around you is also not the most fun thing at a concert, isn't it?

[Csar]

I'm excited to see them tonight for the first time. It's going to be in a rather intimate setting, opposed to yours. I'm only concerned about the accoustics there.
Haven't listened to the album yet beyond Bloom and Sofa as the ticket was a bundled option for various formats of the album you could pick up at the venue. So I waited and will be grabbing my CD there and probably give it a spin tomorrow. A little worried after your less enthusiastic comment about the new stuff. After 3 strong albums plus extra stuff, I'd be cutting them some slack, though. Bloom and Sofa was all it needed for me to finally make a deep dive into their catalogue, so it's been certainly worth it already.

Still got my ticket (which for some reason is just a qr-code

Is it this Dice app? Feels pretty weird buying tickets this way.  Especially their "activate ticket 2h before start" rule is annoying. I'd like to activate it now and get my qr code instead of having to time it. Plus, you can't keep anything for memories' sake like in the good ol' paper days.

[ThePumisher]

Is it this Dice app?

No. I followed the link from their homepage and it was going straight to ticketmaster - and ticketmaster was the only way to buy tickets for the tour back when i bought it. Now i discovered that they are also available through eventim, which wasn't possible back then for whatever reason.

[Csar]

Well, that was some fun!

First off, just like Enjoyed, I'd like to give a big fat thank you to you @ThePumisher for your constant mention of the band throughout the years. If it wasn't for you and esp. your post of Bloom earlier this year, I most certainly would have missed out on this and perhaps would have waited another ridiculous eternity to go and dig deeper into their stuff. I don't know why it took me so long to do that. Looking at the date of my WA folder, it was 2015 when I added it to my digital music collection with a couple of songs and live recordings, so I knew back then that I liked their sound somehow. But even when last year I finally bought their deluxe version of their debut album off of Bandcamp (which I can only highly recommend if you start discovering the band as it's THE steal with its tons of extra material) and kept it on heavy rotation, for some odd reason, I didn't go ahead and explore their other two albums. And with Bloom my curiosity was rekindled in an instant (the drums, the singing, the unconventional song structure made me go "oh fucking yeah"). So, again, thanks a million for posting that!

The concert was quite a fun experience and somewhat different from others I attended so far. The venue is a cute small former movie theatre (as I learned yesterday Germany's oldest one), very intimate and charming. It's located in an artsy, alternative neighbourhood of Leipzig. There's tons of graffiti all around the blocks - to the point where you could have easily walked by the venue without noticing it as such at all. Their two tour buses were parked right at the side of the street, just like any other car. I took some photos from across the street and spotted a row of people lining up the sidewalk which I joined. It took quiet sometime until any movement towards the doors happened while the line got longer and longer. The ticket app only said 8pm, so you didn't know whether the show would start then or the doors would open. So I arrived almost an hour early just in case. While waiting, there was a brief outburst of excitement when some folks closer to the entrance started cheering and one dude said "oh look over there", so I assume the band must have either peeked through the windshield or walked into the venue because I wasn't able to spot them myself. Then, somewhat past 8pm, the doors eventually did open and we could enter - showing QR codes on our phones (yeah, hail to the brave new tech world). Inside, there was a counter right before the entrance to the actual stage hall where you could pick up your album if you had opted for one in your ticket purchase. But guess what? Technology struck back. The scanner, which was supposed to scan the same QR code from before, couldn't access the wifi because of some password issues. I tried to lighten the mood a bit by telling them it might come in handier next time if they had a QR code as well for that but the dude explained to me that, unfortunately, it was a bit more complex than that because of the devices' delicate security nature. After like 15 min they finally figured it out and we were able get the album. Luckily, there was only one person before me as most of the concert goers went straight into the hall, so it went quick. The patience paid off. People did line up after the show to get theirs which could have made my trip back to my friends' place in the outskirts a bit difficult as I was relying on public transportation including a nasty rerouting because of construction work that, of all days, had to start that night  .

Eventually inside, the venue didn't seem to be packed yet like I had worried during the scanner jam so I went as close to the stage as I could. And then the waiting started all over. For like 45 min, the roadies kept tuning and finalising the mixing. So I got quite some time to soak in the venue's atmosphere. And just like outside, for a brief moment, some folks started cheering and everyone looked up to the gallery (which was not open to the audience). I assumed again, that someone from the band must have peeked so I kept on looking every now and then for a while until indeed the drummer peeped for a split second, waiving his hand when some folks started cheering again.

And then, not too long after that, the band finally came down the gallery from the right hand side, walked on stage to roaring applause and grabbed their instruments to kick off the night. Ellie, just like in her early days, initially showed her shyness looking up towards the gallery avoiding eye contact but that gradually changed as the night went on. After the second song, Ellie addressed the crowd with a few welcoming words, which she tends to do in the country's language they play in - in our case "guten Abend" which sounded pretty good . She was excited to let us know that this was the first show where they debuted their new songs apart from Bloom and Sofa.
Everyone seemed to be having a great time and it felt like the band did too. At one point, Theo, the bass player, thanked the crowd for rounding off an already great week and for supporting them and then turned to his band mates, telling them what a great time he has "every day of my life" with them, which seemed pretty heartfelt. Fittingly, that was followed by their song Bros .
What was also really pleasant to see was to actually not see a sea of phones up in the air. People really seemed to be wanting to enjoy themselves and the music they were there for. Especially during "How can I make it Ok?" people sang from the top of the lungs.

Unfortunately, the sound of the venue, as lovely as it was, wasn't the greatest in terms of clarity. Particularly Ellie's voice occasionally had a harder time getting through, at least from my vantage point. But thankfully it didn't ruin the vibe. Speaking of Ellie's voice, she's become so much better over the years, it's a delight. Especially during Boom Baby Bloom which must be a nightmare to nail live given the vocal range it goes through.
So I danced my ass of and tried to sing along (which is pretty hard actually when you can barely hear yourself) as much as I could remember . And then, it was over. They went off to thunderous applause that lasted for minutes. People kept clapping and clapping and everybody hoped they'd come back for at least one last song. At first it seemed like it could happen. But when the crew stepped back on stage and popped in some of the "go home now" aftershow music, it was clear they weren't. Which was a pity, really. I checked the date of the pictures I took and it seemed like almost 60 minutes to the minute (from 9-10pm). This was the only downside, to have waited longer than the actual running time of the show. Maybe there was a curfew we weren't aware of since the venue is right in the middle of ordinary housing blocks. It was a real bummer, though. Fingers crossed they'll be playing a longer show in Cologne and the venue size does it justice.
However brief, it was a needed uplifting distraction.
If you haven't yet decided @Enjoyed and can afford it, take the chance and go see them. I'd be eager to hear what you've got to say as a new WA connoisseur

Setlist

• White Horses
• Smile
• Delicous Things
• Safe In the World
• How Can I Make It Ok?
• Bloom Baby Bloom
• Just Two Girls
• Formidable Cool
• Bros
• Thorns
• Don't Delete the Kisses
• The Sofa
• Giant Peach

Some photos

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I gave the album a prober listen over the last couple of days and I really start digging it. I get, though, why some may be less thrilled about it. It's a bit different, but for me only at first glance and in the context as an album. There are a couple of surprises on there where I went from "hm, a little too sing-song-writery" to "hey, that actually sounds cool". I'm a sucker for interesting melodies and there's quite a few in them (Just Two Girls, Midnight Song, Safe In the World). Like Leaning Against the Wall: It starts out rather unassuming with this country-esque vibe only to turn into something with a synthy melody that even reminded me a tiny bit of I Break Horses. And right at the song's end it surprises with almost big beatish drums - that was kinda unexpected. The combination and structure took me a moment to appreciate but I love it (I wished, though, they had brought in the drums much earlier and the outro could also work as the intro, imo, instead of this "misleading" acoustic guitar). Maybe that goes for the entire album. It flows a little less organic than, let's say, Blue Weekend and its vibe is less varied and more predominantly laid-back. But if you'd put these songs in a random WA playlist, I could imagine some of you might appreciate them more than in an album context.

Could the album have had some more rockier, dirtier, complex songs in the vein of the likes of Giant Peach, Smile, Visions of a Life, Lisbon etc? Maybe. But if you'd pick their calmer work from their previous releases and put it in one album, you could get something like the Clearing. I like the fact that you can't really put them in a box. They're not just rock, or indie-rock or whatever label somebody would slap onto them. Just like the Chems are not Big Beat or Techno or this or that.
Anyways, at least to me, it's a WA album for sure. The only "gripe" I have so far is: Thorns is no opener, it's the albums true closer.

[ThePumisher]

At one point, Theo, the bass player, thanked the crowd for rounding off an already great week and for supporting them

Me thinks that Theo is most of the time the one who's interacting with the crowd. And he is the one always moving,  animating the crowd, while Joff is the quiet one (not in a bad way). Not really sure about Ellie as she often has a look on her face like she is not enjoying the situation (could be your mentioned shyness or some stage fright* if she has this), but on the other hand when you watch their Glasto show from this year she really comes out of her shell and seems to have the time of her life.






*Couple of months or maybe years ago i've read an interview with either Bruce Springsteen or Peter Maffay (german musician), i can't remember who it was, and he said that he still has stage fright before going on stage. And he said that if at one point you don't have stage fright anymore before performing you've lost the respect for your audience. And i really praise these words. Like #3 from "10 mixing tips by Mike Tent": Trust your instinct more than any red light flashing...

[Bosco]

Cool theatre, Csar! Thanks for sharing your experience with us.

An hour seems a bit short for a headlining band whose at least 3 albums in, it must've been a curfew thing like you've mentioned. But if so, seems like some bad planning by band/venue to not make sure the fans get a lengthier experience.


Wolf Alice is headed to Chicago later this month with a sold-out show at one of my favorite old venues in the city, 'The Vic Theatre'. I've seen acts like Elbow, Jesus and Mary Chain, Spiritualized, Gogol Bordello, and even Norm Macdonald (R.I.P.) do stand-up. And back-in-the-day (I didn't attend this one), The Chemical Brothers did a promotional "Blind Date" concert event which they opened up for David Bowie. All of our older theatres (which we have quite a few) have heavy influence from Europe, especially their interiors.

[Csar]

Me thinks that Theo is most of the time the one who's interacting with the crowd. And he is the one always moving, animating the crowd, while Joff is the quiet one (not in a bad way).

Yes, that's what I got as well from the tons of live shows I watched online.

Not really sure about Ellie as she often has a look on her face like she is not enjoying the situation (could be your mentioned shyness or some stage fright* if she has this), but on the other hand when you watch their Glasto show from this year she really comes out of her shell and seems to have the time of her life.

Well, as far as my kitchen counter psychology goes, I'd say she's pretty shy and seems often a bit uncomfortable in certain social settings, esp. in interviews. Watch their NPR's Tiny Desk session from 10 years ago or any other more intimate live session. I guess on a bigger stage and filled with a rush of endorphins and with a more distant crowd, you might feel less awkward. She reminds me a tiny bit of Eliot Sumner, one of Sting's youngest kids who performed as I Blame Coco and later under their own name. Pretty shy and timid in interviews but when on stage and able to do what they like, playing and singing, they seem much more at ease and relaxed.
Ellie also mentioned in an interview somewhere that she needs to focus more when also playing guitar and that she felt a new sense of freedom when she just sings. You can actually see that in their current gigs that she sort of "blooms" and loosens up when she only needs to sing. But of course, perhaps she also enjoys some gigs more than others, I guess we all would if we'd tour the world, jetting from one place to another.
I wished she always could have as much fun as she apparently had at Glasto or that recent Troubadour gig in LA (where they, as I just learned, also filmed their Sofa video )

Cool theatre, Csar! Thanks for sharing your experience with us. An hour seems a bit short for a headlining band whose at least 3 albums in, it must've been a curfew thing like you've mentioned. But if so, seems like some bad planning by band/venue to not make sure the fans get a lengthier experience.

Thanks for being so patient with me
Well, I also came to think that these recent shows are meant to be pre-tour/ album release shows at smaller, more intimate  venues. Maybe that added to it being so short. Let's see what the next show in November in Berlin will be like, as this is supposed to be an actual tour date at a larger place (now that I think of it, at the same venue where I attended my first Chems gig 20 years ago )

Wolf Alice is headed to Chicago later this month with a sold-out show at one of my favorite old venues in the city, 'The Vic Theatre'. I've seen acts like Elbow, Jesus and Mary Chain, Spiritualized, Gogol Bordello, and even Norm Macdonald (R.I.P.) do stand-up. And back-in-the-day (I didn't attend this one), The Chemical Brothers did a promotional "Blind Date" concert event which they opened up for David Bowie. All of our older theatres (which we have quite a few) have heavy influence from Europe, especially their interiors.

Aw, that looks just as nice! Would love to go see a show there of any kind!! Btw, I checked Vic's for tickets and it didn't say "sold out". But I couldn't verify because I got some technical mumbo jumbo error page when I clicked the buy button (perhaps that orange menace from the east coast had already gotten his digital ice goons to block non-citizens from accessing Chicagoan places of art ). If you can still get a ticket, it may be worth checking it out. They also did a cover of one of your beloved bands by the way 
 

[Bosco]

Btw, I checked Vic's for tickets and it didn't say "sold out".

They also did a cover of one of your beloved bands by the way 

It's sold out. Tickets are being sold via AXS and they are known to deceive costumers if you're not experienced with their ticket buying platform. Everything available are tickets being sold by re-sellers at what is probably triple the price (~$150). The show is on a Friday/weekend, a young band on a up-swing, and a venue with a capacity of about ~1500. This is a prime mix for insta-sellout (in Chicago) during it's presale. In another lifetime I would be more on-top of something like this and amongst the concert goers.


Ah, King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard. I wish I had still had the enthusiasm I did 6 years ago with them. 'Fishing for Fishies' still a great album, and throughly enjoyed them when I saw them. They've kinda become a big monster of a band  (good and bad), that I didn't foresee.

[Csar]

It's sold out. Tickets are being sold via AXS and they are known to deceive costumers if you're not experienced with their ticket buying platform. Everything available are tickets being sold by re-sellers at what is probably triple the price (~$150). The show is on a Friday/weekend, a young band on a up-swing, and a venue with a capacity of about ~1500. This is a prime mix for insta-sellout (in Chicago) during it's presale. In another lifetime I would be more on-top of something like this and amongst the concert goers.

Got it. I hate this new age of ticketing as well  (esp. this app-crap spiel and these fan exploiters) and only reluctantly went with the times this time around or else would have missed out maybe on a once in a lifetime moment.

Ah, King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard. I wish I had still had the enthusiasm I did 6 years ago with them.

Ah, alright. Happens to the best

Ok, so to not further spam the forum with Wolf Alice stuff, I'd like to share some of my favourites I stumbled upon right in this post. They've put out quite some live sessions over the years that are really good and most of the time elevate the newly interpreted songs or breathe in some new life.
Among those are these two gems that I come back to over and over again. They are both musically and visually captivating:

Lipstick on the Glass live at Union Chapel (oddly enough, of all things, produced by a certain whiskey maker).

But this one takes the cake for me. Whoever came up with this trippy, dreamy, psychedelic style is a genius in my book. This gives me goosebumps all the time. I recommend listening to it with headphones.
Heavenward live at the Boilder Room at the Hyundai Mercury Prize awards

And because @ThePumisher already posted some good covers, let me add these to the list. I love how they make them their own.

Cover of Matilda from Alt-J

Blush (their own) + Wicked Game at the iTunes festival 2014 (best listened to back to back)

or here at 11:30

Boys by "Charli XCX" (and The Cure's Boys Don't Cry)

Roar by Katy Perry

Oh, forgot to mention: When I came back from the show in Leipzig I searched for uploads of the night but found out instead that they were at a German late show (a tiny bit similar to Last Week Tonight) a couple of days earlier performing Bloom Baby Bloom with the show's orchestra.  It's incredibly good.