Album Review: Wolf Alice - Visions Of A Life

Following the success of their debut LP, 2015's My Love Is Cool, London four-piece Wolf Alice are back with Visions Of A Life.

Ellie Rowsell (vocals, guitar), Joff Oddie (guitars, vocals), Theo Ellis (bass), and Joel Amey (drums, vocals) mix it up and display plenty of range on this record. Written about the death of a friend, shoegazey opener Heavenward's floating, reverberant vocals contrast heavily with the fast-paced, hard-hitting Yuk Foo that follows; the lead single's raw, assertive sound reminiscent of Riot Grrrl bands like Heavens To Betsy and Bikini Kill.

Beautifully Unconventional proves Wolf Alice can do catchy, light indie-rock and After The Zero Hour takes the band back to their folk-ish beginnings with fingerpicked acoustic guitar, strings and vocal harmonies.

Wolf Alice constantly jump from moments of softness, fragility and warmth - slow, ethereal Don't Delete The Kisses and it's soaring chorus - to powerful, energetic songs such as Space & Time. But on St Purple & Green they manage to get moments of both, opening with some hauntingly beautiful, church-style layered vocals before distorted guitars and the rhythm section come crashing in.

They save the best for last with the closing title track - almost eight minutes of epicness. Wolf Alice deliver a polished alternative-rock album with the perfect amount of grit.