Wolf Alice
Visions Of A Life

We've counted tons of "next big things," especially in the last fifteen years, particularly coming from that unstoppable hotbed that is the United Kingdom.

Few, very few have remained (so much so that at surface level, only Arctic Monkeys come to mind), while many have gotten lost over time, reappearing every now and then, releasing a calculated album cherished only by a small loyal fanbase, and then disappearing again. We'll see if this fate will also befall Wolf Alice, featuring the beautiful Ellie Roswell, but judging by this second album, this time it might just be the real deal.

But who exactly are Wolf Alice? Let's say right away that they seem to have all it takes: a great debut that was talked about just enough, complete with a track included in the "Trainspotting 2" soundtrack. A beautiful and talented frontwoman like Roswell, who flirts indistinctly with the indie world and the mainstream one, apparently without major disruptions. Yes, but what about the music?

It's there too, and in this second album (titled "Visions Of A Life" and produced by Justin Meldal-Johnsen, recently responsible for Paramore's indie pop turn with "After Laughter" and already at the controls for M83 and The Raveonettes), it convinces as well, just as the first one did. A shamelessly showgaze opener of slow-dive style ("Heavenward") introduces us to an album that hits nails on heads without missing (virtually) a beat. There's that magic that binds different styles into a cohesive project, a prerogative of few bands, and there's a Roswell who hops between noise garage outbursts like "Yuk Foo" (boldly released as a launch single, and courage often pays off), indie pop numbers with femme fatale ambitions like "Beautifully Unconventional" (delightful, one of the pop singles of the year), and alt-rock wonders per se like "Don't Delete The Kisses."

In the more intense tracks, time seems to have stopped at 1995's unforgettable "Mellon Collie," and that's where the band lacks something in personality ("Formidable Cool," "Planet Hunter") only to recover with interesting variations like "Sky Musings" or the beautiful (vaguely oriental) "Sadboy," not to mention the excellent close with the gorgeous title track.

Wolf Alice confirms themselves, at least artistically. We'll see if it will be enough to endure over time.

Best track: "Sadboy"