It’s here! We all made it! We all lived to see the day when a Wolf Alice album was dragged into the world; screaming along to the refrain of ‘Fluffy’. Yes, ‘My Love Is Cool’ is here to test the resolve of one of the best live bands to emerge from Britain in decades.
Frontwoman Ellie Rowsell may not come across as indebted to the subtle work of Mazzy Star, but look beyond the similar title of ‘Turn To Dust’ and it’s clear that Wolf Alice want the world to know that they do more than just thrash guitars in basement indie venues. There’s depths here that so far the band have neglected to let the world in to discover. Rejoice in them letting you get your David Attenborough on and lose yourself to the discovery of their deep and dark emotional souls.
‘Bros’ means a lot of things to a lot of people. Live, it’s a coming of age ballad for a generation that grew up knowing more about Twitter than Jamie T. So to have risked the spirit of such an integral track with a glossy studio cut always ran the risk of not paying off. Sadly, it’s not always possible to tame a beast as ferocious as the original ‘Bros’ we all know and love. Opting instead for a vocal that is much too reigned in to carry any impact, and drums that lack the live punch and pizazz of the incredible Joel Amey.
The task of wrestling an astonishingly unapologetic live band like Wolf Alice into studio shape was never going to be an easy task. Thankfully, ‘Bros’ is an unwelcome anomaly and ‘Your Loves Whore’ is as Hole-y as the title might suggest. Hesitant to label tracks as ‘personal favourites’ it’s hard to stick to conviction when you’re stood in at The Park stage of Glastonbury losing yourself alongside two thousand other people all equally lost in the light that this track brings to the world.
It gets harder and harder to not start a solo moshpit in your room when ‘You’re A Germ’ is pumping out of your speakers at full volume. If you listen intently, you can hear the riff of Pulp’s ‘Common People’ making an appearance propelling this to a certified anthem.
Taking nearly a minute to begin brooding through speakers, ‘Silk’ sees Rowsell at her angriest, ready to behead the next person that crosses her. The slight picking of guitar by Joff Oddie marries together with Theo Ellis’ bass, to create a passive aggressive bodyslam of attitude, right into your ear-drums. ‘Freazy’ follows on in similar style, with the exception that it brings together both the Mazzy Star-like opening style and the more Courtney Love tinged sides to this young London band.
‘Giant Peach’ marked the bands shift from purely live band with scattered EP releases, to a fully fledged studio band that even people in suits wanted to get down to. It’s gritty and girly at the same time, highlighting the female form as a powerhouse that is not to be messed with. You try and put Wolf Alice in a cage, and they’re going to rip it to shreds in front of your eyes all the while maintaining a happy glint in their eyes. It’s easy to underestimate a band that has been on the buzz radar for a few years now, but this is not your run of the mill indie band, Wolf Alice are a pack of lions and guess what? They’re real hungry for the blood of naysayers.
There’s ways to stand up, be counted and take no prisoners. You can be a dick about it like the ill-fated and unloved Viva Brother, or you can channel the disenchanted rage of a generation and lift it high into the psyche of the nation – which is what Wolf Alice have grabbed with both hands. My love for Wolf Alice is pretty damn cool.
8/10
Words: Rachael Scarsbrook
