WOLF ALICE – Blue Lullaby EP – release 24th June 2022

Mercury Prize and Brit Award winners Wolf Alice, an alt folk rock band from London, have recently announced their upcoming release of their Blue Lullaby EP, which is to be released on 24th June 2022.

  The EP will feature stripped down versions (lullabies) of some of the songs featured on their Mercury Award winning 2021 album ‘Blue Weekend

We are totally stoked to have been given a chance to share our thoughts and give you a blow for blow review of what to expect from the NEW EP.

Wolf Alice was formed in 2010 as an acoustic duo, Ellie Rowsell and Joff Oddie after meeting at an open mic at the Hope and Anchor in Islington, London. From those early beginnings, the band evolved and grew with the times and the need for a bigger sound only given with the aid of more musicians. Since then, the band has gone on to win many awards including Best Breakthrough Band, Best Live Band, Best Festival Headliner and winning 2018’s Mercury prize album of the year win for ‘Visions of a Life’

 Wolf Alice are also one of a small handful of artists to be nominated for the Mercury Prize for each album they have released. Their album ‘Blue Weekend‘ continued the band’s stretch of success by debuting at #1 on the UK charts on release and winning the Brit Award for Best Group earlier this year 2022.

‘Blue Lullaby‘ opens with a stripped-down version of their song ‘Lipstick on the Glass‘.  Sombre strings introduce us to the track followed by an up-tempo acoustic finger-picked rhythm. So far, it’s delivering on the stripped back sound, differing from the ‘Blue Weekend’ Album version. Ellie’s well-sung Soprano vocals then sing us through the verses with ease. As she leads us into the chorus, she gives us another vocal style full of gravitas and subtly showcases her vocal power. You are left with chills by the end of this track and the need to listen to more.

‘How Can I Make it ok‘ carries on the stripped down theme of the album with a raw yet powerful combo of sincere well-sung vocals and acoustic guitar. A spritely spring/summer vibe is felt throughout this song, which is less haunting and sombre as evidenced in Lipstick on the Glass on its exterior but it’s one of those songs with a happy exterior but disguising a darker, moody side. A different side of Ellie’s vocals are showcased here giving us the full range of her soprano skill reaching the high notes throughout the chorus but also reaching the very lows of her register. During the verses her mid-range vocals are accompanied by a low-sung male backing which is great to listen to. All through the track, whether it be the softly picked/strummed acoustic or the simplistic drums, you are given honey to your ears, all sounding amazing together and leaving you wanting more.

(Ellie_Wolf Alice_ At Mountford Hall_Liverpool_22/02/22_Credit: Billy Vitch)

Ellie’s vocals are sung so softly in the intro to ‘No Hard Feelings’, that they verge on tapering out giving a note of innocence or calmness. A soft sounding synth keys add backing to the vocals giving emphasis on the message and style without it being overpowered. Backing vocals are added as we progress through the track together with a choir solo further giving us that calm and tranquil feel which go alongside the messages talk of forgiveness and peace.

The tranquil feeling is further brought to us in the form of a beautiful acoustic fingerpicked rhythm and piano on the track ‘Feeling Myself’. The song itself has a message of having enough of being messed around by that someone who likes to play around. With this new stripped down version, you can really feel the tired angst you feel after emotional turmoil. The dexterity of Ellie’s vocals from her whispering or drawling out vocals to add emphasis to the well-written lyrics.

Last but not least is ‘Last Man on Earth‘, another message to that someone who has caused heartache in the past. A sombre piano accompanies Ellie throughout giving a soft and calm backing to the vocals when needed but also adding a power behind them when needed going into the chorus. As showcased previously in the other lullabies Ellie range has free-reign here going from a whisper to a purely powerful performance full of emotion and skill. A great-sounding choir sings as we go through the middle third not adding the calm ethereal feeling but bellowing out a higher range than Ellie’s offering up a sense of angst and inner turmoil in contrast to what is shown on the outside being Ellie’s calmly sung vocals.

The album is a culmination of those ideas we all get when listening to songs; the ideas like “strings would sound great there” or “imagine the soaring heights this song could go to if there was a choir included throughout”  Without the high energy feeling normally given to you by any of Wolf Alice’s albums pushing you from song to song, you are instead given a calm but turbulent, tranquil but chaotic and soft but powerful feel to the tracks which instead leads you by the hand. Overall, it’s great to hear these well known songs in a different style and offering up a different feel and emotion making them seem to be totally different and fresh songs.

Review by Mal Keenan 

Pre-save the BLUE LULLABY EP HERE