Wolf Alice are back with their third and probably best album Blue Weekend. It’s a real masterpiece and a true gem of music!
Blue Weekend is an album full of confidence and boldness but also picks up on vulnerability. It’s a study on relationships, be it romantic partners, friends, or yourself. Ellie Rowsell takes us on a deep dive into her own experiences of love and what role music has played in her life. It’s an honest, sensitive, but enormously powerful journey.
We will start the album at ‘The Beach’ and will also end there. Both parts, ‘The Beach’ and ‘The Beach II’, form the framework of the album. In between, Wolf Alice take us on an emotional ride. ‘The Beach’ is a grand intro to the album and sets the scene. It is given even more spice by quoting Macbeth’s famous lines of the three witches “When will we three meet again / In thunder, lightning, rain”. For me, being a big fan of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, this is a great opener.
Our journey then begins with ‘Delicious Things’, a great pop tune with its hi-hats, dreamy chords, and ace bass. It’s the story of finding yourself very far from home in the Hollywood Hills, feeling alienated but excited at the same time, but then ending up being pretty bored and unglamorously calling your mum. “I don’t belong here / Though it’s really quite fun”. It’s a banger song.
‘Lipstick On The Glass’ is highly melodic with a massive chorus and a great bassline. Fun fact, the sound at the start of the song is coming from actual wine glasses. Pretty cool!
‘Smile’ is definitely one of my favourites. It’s an anthem of self-esteem, of fighting back. Lyrics and music punch straight into the face. “I am what I am and I’m good at it / And you don’t like me well that isn’t fucking relevant”. That’s a massive line and worth for worship! Musically, it’s a powerful rock song with roaring guitar riffs and exploding drums. That bass is badass. It takes us to the darker side of their sound and is very atmospheric and energetic. I like that huge load of confidence that’s filling the song. Superb!
‘Safe From Heartbreak (if you never fall in love)’ is a wonderful tune with nice folk melodies and finger-picked guitars. “You fucked with my feelings / Safe from heartbreak if I never fall in love”. Well, who couldn’t relate to that? There’s a sort of spiritual energy radiating from this track. It’s raw and pure and ends with a beautiful a capella.
‘How Can I Make It OK?’ is a huge track, full of bittersweet feelings. Another one of my favourites. It’s dream-pop in perfection. The chorus does sound a bit Enya-esque even, doesn’t it? Lyrically, it’s about trying to save an already broken relationship. The song clearly demonstrates the maturity of Wolf Alice and how much more we can expect from them. ‘How Can I Make It OK?’ is a big anthem. Extremely beautiful.
The following ‘Play The Greatest Hits’ crashes all the heart-broken feelings from before with its rumbling noise. That shocking surprise is just brilliant. The sound goes straight through your body. What an unhinged and wild punk song!
‘Feeling Myself’ is again on the more sensual side. It’s about self-love and sexual independence. The lines “He’s had so many lovers, don’t think he’s been pleasing anyone / Doesn’t matter ‘bout numbers / When it’s breaking news that it takes two to love” describe it pretty precisely. It’s a great shoegazy sound with a lot of temper and wonderful vocals. I can only say: Yes, “I’m really feeling myself”.
‘The Last Man On Earth’ is simply gorgeous and could be the soundtrack for a big movie. It’s an emotive piano ballad that causes goosebumps all along the track. Topically, it’s about the arrogance of human beings. “Every book you take that you dust off from the shelf has lines between lines between lines that you read about yourself / But does a light shine on you”. It takes around two minutes before the rest of the band sets in. I can’t say anything else than this song is absolutely magical!
With ‘No Hard Feelings’, Wolf Alice return to their acoustic roots that take you into the deep depths of heartache and grief. Again, another powerful song.
As mentioned at the beginning, we’ll come back to the beach. ‘The Beach II’ is the perfect closer for the album. “The tide comes in as it must go out, consistent like the laughter / Of the girls on the beach, my girls on the beach, happy ever after”. It’s a soft tune with calm guitar and buzzing synths. It brings back long-forgotten summer memories when we danced hand in hand with the ease of life, and when anything seemed possible.
Blue Weekend is a stunning album that blends different music styles and gets under the skin. The lyrics dig deep under the surface, they go into the forgotten corners of the soul and reveal all the painful heartaches. All this is accentuated by breath-taking, infectious musical sound. It’s an ecstatic, highly emotive trip. Furious and loud, thoughtful and calm. Bursting with energy, boldness, and confidence. Am I completely lost, or do I feel everything at once? I don’t know. This album is immense and full of powerful magic. You do justice to this album when calling it a masterpiece. Are there any more superlatives left to praise this album?
With Blue Weekend, Wolf Alice have developed and grown their style, and put their music to the next level. This album deserves to be played loud. And honestly, I cannot wait to see them performing it live on stage.