They’re blooming, baby, blooming: Wolf Alice’s fourth album ‘The Clearing’ marks a bold new chapter of growth and reinvention for the English band, blending punk roots with sweeping alt-rock textures, cinematic outros, and a newfound lyrical intimacy.

Stream: ‘The Clearing’ – Wolf Alice

Wolf Alice are Mercury Prize-winning musicians, capturing the attention of Charli XCX and the Grammy Awards along the way.

After four long years, the masterminds behind “Don’t Delete the Kisses” are back with their fourth studio album, The Clearing.

Theo Ellis, Joff Oddie, Joel Amey, and Ellie Rowsell first teased this new album with “Bloom Baby Bloom,” a single aptly highlighting self-confidence and growth.

The Clearing - Wolf Alice — The Clearing – Wolf Alice

Introducing The Clearing with “Bloom Baby Bloom,” the album’s most punk rock-leaning track, was the obvious, albeit almost deceiving, choice. Sure, this is the sound Wolf Alice is synonymous with amongst fans, but the remainder of songs are noticeably sonically different.

The group seemingly evolved from their punk-forward roots to a more alternative rock-esque genre. (I saw someone describe it as 70’s-inspired rock, but I don’t think I’d go that far.)

Some of their new songs feel reminiscent of other alternative performers, e.g. Khruangbin’s guitar timbre on “Safe in the World,” Lana Del Rey’s whisper-singing on “Leaning Against The Wall,” and Clairo’s plucky piano on “Just Two Girls.” Whether that’s intentional or not is unclear, but it’s not necessarily a bad thing, either.

“Just Two Girls” also builds upon the themes of Wolf Alice’s earlier hit “Bros.” This new track, however, highlights empowering female friendships, complete with an infectious pop-leaning instrumental.

“I was inspired by going for dinner with my friends,” Rowsel said via press release, “a couple of friends, at different times, just one-on-one. I noticed how much I was saying ‘Oh my god yeah you’re so right!’ And I thought it was so nice to see how validating these conversations with my girlfriends are, how much I’m learning in these chats.”

The outros, in particular, are unique and unexpected for almost every song. “Play It Out” transitions to an almost circus-like 3/4 soft keyboard sound. “Bread Butter Tea Sugar” ends with Rowsel whispering about “coming into a clearing,” almost as if it’s a secret — a clever nod to the album’s title.

“Under the shadow of a mountain,
I pay no mind to move.
There is still some scattered light,
It warms me up like it could reach me inside.
And then I come into a clearing,
And then I come into a clearing,
And I come into a clearing.”

– “Bread Butter Tea Sugar,” Wolf Alice

A friend recently argued Wolf Alice should’ve closed with “Leaning Against the Wall” instead of “The Sofa,” claiming the song’s lyrics, specifically about love being our “greatest performance,” felt like a bookend to the album’s central themes more than “The Sofa.”

“The Sofa” is sonically reminiscent of “How Can I Make It Ok,” “The Last Man on Earth,” and all the contemplative, almost theatrical tracks that make Wolf Alice so exciting. You can dance at their concert or you can cry… or you can headbang to “White Horses” alone in your room. They’re part hardcore and part alternative, introspective in a way that easily and effortlessly translates to listeners.

Even if The Clearing isn’t Wolf Alice’s magnum opus, this new release solidifies itself as a strong addition to the band’s discography.

— —