Wolf Alice’s fourth studio album “The Clearing” releasing today, is an exhilarating showcase of how a band can both honour its roots and also stretch into new terrain. The Clearing marks a triumphant return that balances bold guitar-driven flare with some 70s‑tinged elegance. It’s an album firmly rooted in self‑assurance and creative evolution. A beautiful release that I found myself listening back to when feeling many different types of emotions, there are tracks here that can instantly calm you. That is no small part due to frontwoman Ellie Rowsell’s breath-taking vocals across the whole record. Four years after their last full release Blue Weekend (and a full decade, yes it’s been that long, since their debut studio album My Love Is Cool), the band re-emerges with what feels like a renewed clarity and a whole load of ambition.
The opening track, “Thorns,” sets a stunning tone. As I mentioned above Ellies vocals are amazing and this is our first encounter with that. The record kicks off with a beautiful leading array of instrumentals right into her dreamy vocals. The lyrics are self‑aware and this theme will continue throughout the album. This is a very open record by all accounts. This track teases a big finish and feels like there’s a place for that but instead the band flows through keeping you engaged without peaking too early.
Drawing inspiration from late‑60s and 70s influences, think Fleetwood Mac, ABBA harmonies, Wolf Alice marry nostalgia with freshness on “Bloom Baby Bloom”. One listen to this and you’ll see exactly what I mean. There are bursts of energy and silky rhythms, immediately reaffirming the band’s appetite for vibrant, big‑hook pop. This is a drastic change from the opener and my God it works. The chorus and hook on this one give us that big moment feeling that Thorns was teasing. Once again, the vocals and range are stunning.
The favourite for me was “Just Two Girls” which was also released today as the focus track (https://mcgigmusic.com/wolf-alice-today-released-their-fourth-studio-album-the-clearing-alongside-the-focus-track-just-two-girls/). It takes a warmer, more nostalgic route. The writing here is great and really open and honest with lines in the opening sequence like “she looked so pretty it was fucking offensive” and “she likes the way I over-hypothesize the people in the room”. There’s a tenderness here but it’s definitely wrapped up in the classic Wolf Alice classics spirit. Tracks like “Leaning Against the Wall” and “Passenger Seat” offer slower, more introspective moments. Think wooden guitars, thoughtful pacing, and a 70s‑pop sensibility refined through modern polish. There’s some nice atmospheric touches on Leaning against the wall that fade in and out. I felt like the beginning laced with chatter and busyness made me feel like I was at a live give before that all fell back to almost nothing and the beauty of the vocals shined through. Then again on “Passenger Seat” there are these little touches that give you a sense of different environments. The pacing is a little quicker on this one with the help from backing vocals and is super catchy.
“Play It Out” is a perfect mid-album track that is one of the most beautiful on the album. It is a nice moment of calm and reflection and really helps to break the 11 tracks up. “Bread Butter Tea Sugar” kicks in with a garish, glam‑rock boogie. Another absolute catchy gem. It is constantly building and giving you that euphoric feeling before hitting a calm moment and then ramping things right back up. This felt like it’d be a great opener or closer to a live show, while “Midnight Song” drifts into folk‑inspired territories as a chilling highlight. It rivals “Play It Out” as one of the most dreamy gorgeous tracks on the album. The production on this one is also immaculate and works really well with headphones as it gives a real surround/ out of body sound.
We then move onto “White Horses”, a track that could easily be considered the best on the entire album. It gave me vibes of Led Zeppelin’s grandeur with The Cranberries type tenderness. The verses in this one also feature a duet with their legendary drummer Joel Amey, which was a really nice addition and something I felt made the track stand out even more. We then come to the closing moments with “The Sofa,” the album ends on a serene, lightly reflective note, but with enough emotional honesty. You need to go listen to this track in its entirety and then to just the closing moments. The talent and musical arrangement there can’t be understated. The pre-chorus on this is really catchy also and actually quite relatable in its openness. There’s lines like “I wanna settle down… And sometime I just want to fuck” and “I can be happy, I can be sad, I can be a bitch when I am mad.” If that doesn’t scream honesty and uniqueness at you, I don’t know what will. A fantastic closer to a great album.
Across the board, The Clearing feels both like a confident expression of the band’s ever evolving sound and a mature redefinition of Wolf Alice’s distinct identity. It’s their most focused, compelling work yet that’s rooted in personal honesty, expansive musicianship, and catchy hooks. Well worth a listen!
Tracklist:
Thorns
Bloom Baby Bloom
Just Two Girls
Leaning Against The Wall
Passenger Seat
Play It Out
Bread Butter Tea Sugar
Safe in the World
Midnight Song
White Horses
The Sofa
ORDER | LISTEN TO THE CLEARING http://HERE
‘The Clearing’ has cleared the boards with a nice 8.5 out of 10
Reviewer – Alan Robinson @alan_robinson_photography