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Jul 06, 2015 Web Exclusive By Scott Dransfield

London four-piece Wolf Alice got their name from a 1979 short story by Angela Carter. In the story, a feral child, left in the care of a lonely werewolf, independently becomes aware of her human nature and womanhood, transcending her animalistic origins. While Wolf Alice the band hasn’t had to overcome any literal wolf-like tendencies, frontwoman Ellie Rowsell and crew have certainly grown from humble beginnings in 2010, crafting a debut album that is startlingly refined and focused.

My Love is Cool‘s tracklist is filled with big, polished arena-rock, a genre that since the ‘90s has been mostly uncool. This is why it’s incredibly refreshing to hear such sincerity and ambition coming from a relatively young band. Wolf Alice’s early singles leaned toward the folksy-indie-rock aesthetic, a quality that shows up on the gorgeous opener “Turn to Dust” as well as the album’s epic climax, “Swallowtail.” Meanwhile, “Giant Peach” is grungy and loud and exciting, and “Soapy Water” sounds like Wolf Alice has been rubbing shoulders with TV on the Radio. The wide spectrum of sounds threatens to distract, to appear too varied with no clear direction. Quite the opposite is true: the most impressive is its cohesiveness ansibility. This is a record tha never leaves you in doubt about who’s driving. It’s amazing that it exists in 2015, and it will hopefully signal a rels, big sound rock music. (www.wolfalice.co.uk)

Author rating: 9/10