Wolf Alice - The Clearing (August 22, 2025) Album • Page 6

Guess I'm the outlier/asshole? I love this. Going to dominate my October/November for sure.

 

re: White Horses, to quote David Letterman, I'll take all of that you got

 

well for me at least I was torn between seeing them or Turnstile and Never Enough is going to end up in my top 3 albums of the year and this definitely will not be unfortunately. I think Blue Weekend is just a trillion times better than this

 

I’m with you and am surprised by some of these reactions.

 

I didn't leave any room for nuance in that statement I made. And I mean, the statement truly needs a backstory otherwise it's a bit unfair/false*.

*I've already been on the fence about making the trip to see them. I think I would feel the same way with *insert any band here* in the same scenario. Like, concert fatigue. Long trip fatigue. Going into the big city from my small town country life fatigue. I don't like straying that far from home as of recent. Lots of factors. A lukewarm(but not bad) first impression of the album yeah plays a minor factor.

 

I’ll always “My Love Is Cool”-era Wolf Alice that’s a little more unhinged. But it’s clear they’re moving beyond that. Everything about this, from the cover to the sound of this, is very vintage rock and I think it suits them very well.

 

Ok, had a 30 min car drive there and then back for an errand since my last post. Listened in my car. V good system. The album sounds fantastic. Warmed up to this a bit more. It is "good" for sure. More time is needed. But for now...... Deftones.....

 

Very into this on first listen. Did not get a samesy vibe at all — if anything, I thought it was nice that they didn’t follow the same song assortment type that Visions had and Blue Weekend followed

 

This album is also a grower and you pick up heaps of little things with each listen. I do think the best way to listen to it is with no distractions, on a record player and laying on the sofa

but yeah, I did expect the album to be divisive. They’ll be back with louder music, I’m sure, but that wouldn’t have worked on The Clearing. I can’t imagine a Yuk Foo or Play The Greatest Hits on here. they had a clear vision for this album, doesn’t mean they’re walking away from the noisier music they’ve released before

 

Like it so far, but don't love it. It makes sense that this is the direction they took after Blue Weekend, but I'm missing the darker undertones. It feels like the late-but-still-sunny-afternoon version of Blue Weekend, if that makes sense. I'd compare it to Jimmy Eat World's Futures vs Invented; both pairs have sonic concepts that build off each other, but one is day mode and the other is night mode (even though Blue Weekend and Futures themselves aren't similar in it of themselves).

That being said, Just Two Girls is way too much fun, Bread Butter Tea Sugar is incredible, and White Horses is my favorite song this release cycle at the moment. The Joel section on White Horses kind of gives me a Sunny Day Real Estate's How It Feels To Be Something On vibes, which I adore. Blue Weekend was my favorite album of its year, so it's hard shoes to fit.

 

Can confirm this as a great Sunday afternoon album.

I love “Bloom Baby Bloom” more every time I hear it.

And the outro of “Leaning Against the Wall” is a transcendent moment. The drumming combined with the soaring vocals and coming after that booming bass is just perfect.

 

Haven't listened yet but this guy's album breakdown interviews are usually pretty insightful, I bet this is great (with Ellie and Joff):

 

its Number 1 in my heart as well

 

This is a great vinyl listen

 

Yeah I liked it from the first listen but it has really grown on me over the last week, now that I know what to expect when I throw it on. A great chill-out/go for a walk album.

 

This whole set, and the way it’s filmed, is fucking incredible

 

every time i listen to this in full I keep thinking Leaning Against The Wall is going to transition into something. it feels like the perfect intro to something Yuk Foo / Greatest Hits adjacent

 

Listened a few times this weekend and this just really for me.