Wolf Alice
So it would be remiss of me not to introduce a band so close to our hearts - Wolf Alice.
‘Hotly tipped’ (shudder) by the NME, I came with wary ears to the WA party, but found the four-piece to be something of a diamond in the 90s-revelling rough.
Three very special tracks in, I’ve been blown away time-and-again by their non-derivative execution of familiar themes and golden song-writing ability.
Most new music truffle pigs will be au fait with Elastica-kicking, Nirvana-punching three minute wonder ‘Fluffy’ which came out on Too Pure at the start of February. A highly repeatable belter, they’ve achieved what the vast majority have failed to - hitting the nail on the noisy head with a sincere and complete-feeling tip of the hat to the afore mentioned trail-blazers.
B-Side ‘White Leather’ is by contrast soft and deeply affecting; a palatable mash-up of Cobain-y chorus-laden plucking and straight, clapping percussion perhaps more at home on a Postal Service record, or something from The Teenagers . It’s great to give Elle Rowsell’s earthy way with words some well-deserved limelight here.
And stepping backwards - first track ‘Leaving You’ is (now infamously) yet different again. Choral and folky, it even features some slide guitar. I detect some Cranberries in there, but at this stage who knows what the deal is at this stage. Up there with layered gems like The Beatles’ ‘Because’ or Elliott Smith’s ‘I Didn’t Understand’.
In relative terms Wolf Alice are the blogosphere saviours of traditional songwriting. About, fucking, time.
