Wolf Alice’s fourth studio album The Clearing was released two weeks ago, and it has been a treat to listen to. As has endlessly been discussed, The Clearing is a clear departure from Wolf Alice’s previous sound, moving towards a mainstream, smoother, and more relaxed sound.

In discussions about The Clearing, there seems to be a very shared sense of mourning for the band’s previous sound – waiting expectantly for the dreaminess of Visions Of A Life, or a blow-out track like ‘Play The Greatest Hits’ or ‘Yuk Foo’. Very ironic, considering that, more than anything, The Clearing is about acceptance, and “getting on with it” as Wolf Alice grow older.

It’s fair to say that the three singles were cherry-picked to cover all bases. ‘Bloom Baby Bloom’ has the familiar soaring/diving crescendos of Wolf Alice’s younger years, complimented as always by Ellie Rowsell’s blistering vocals. ‘White Horses’ is a stripped song with some beautiful string arrangements, and in a rare twist features drummer Joel Amey taking lead vocals with Rowsell providing support. ‘The Sofa’ is the amalgamation of The Clearing‘s themes of growing up and letting things be, a theme perfectly paired with the languishing and honest lyricism.

The rest of the album is by no means left behind either. ‘Just Two Girls’ going straight into ‘Leaning Against The Wall’ is a brilliant combo; going from light and bouncy with an equally energetic piano, to the yearning of meeting someone on a night out. ‘Leaning Against The Wall’ beautifully mixes some abrupt cut-offs to the track with very similar cut-offs that let Rowsell’s voice echo out.

A particular stand-out track is ‘Bread Butter Tea Sugar’. The tune has a delightful air surrounding it with the bright piano taking turns with the marching drums and strings, which ironically contrasts the scathingly self-aware lyrics about a lover who’s bad for her. Rowsell ends the track with a return to her spoken-word style that defined some of Wolf Alice’s biggest tracks like Visions Of A Life‘s ‘Don’t Delete The Kisses’, which is a nice nod to their roots in an album that heralds a departure from their familiar style.

It is too soon to tell whether or not The Clearing will stand the test of time the way that Wolf Alice’s other albums have. It has a high standard to reach, not only in quality, but in accolades too: every single one of Wolf Alice’s albums have been nominated for the Mercury Prize ‘Album of the Year’, with Visions Of A Life actually winning back in 2018. Awards aren’t everything, but it is an impressive achievement to have had every album you’ve written be nominated for a Mercury. Divisive but brilliant, The Clearing is a solid Wolf Alice album, and one that will only improve with time.

8/10

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