Dramatic, flamboyant, emotionally charged, melancholy, powerful chamber pop by the English singer-songwriter blessed with a powerful high tenor voice, returning after a career lull, and inspired and recharged by his new home on the Kent coastline. Wolf has had more than his fair share of ups and downs. He became an emerging, then acclaimed talent in the 2000s, released six albums in eight years, but then underwent a crisis in around 2012, falling foul of labels, depression, addiction, and near-death, reaching a depth during the pandemic. Here was an artist bursting with self-destructive talent. Then, leaving his Lewisham flat, he relocated to the coast, with a collection of songs in 13 years. They capture the beautiful and the brutal, myth and legend, inspired by this strange piece of England, filled with charm and the charmless, the bucolic but also banal, the edge of things at the dark unhappy heart of Brexit Britain. Opener Reculver captures the twin towers near Herne Bay. Even stronger come Limbo, The Last of England, and especially The Hymn of The Haar, three of his strongest tracks to date, and on the latter he describes seeing a dead, once hopeful migrant boy, now “the shape of a balloon” washed up under the Dover cliffs, where it “came clear there was no rousing him”. It’s a powerful release, very theatrically stylised, and yet very impressive in delivery, other standouts include Jupiter, the gentle folk tale Lughnasa (with Serafina Steer), the intermission bells of Song of the Sythe, and the coastline watching closer Foreland. Fabulous to see him back at full strength this is inspirational and passionate work. Out on Apport Records.
New to comment? It is quick and easy. You just need to login to Disqus once. All is explained in About/FAQs ...
Feel free to recommend more new songs and albums and comment below. You can also use the contact page, or find more on social media: Song Bar X, Song Bar Facebook. Song Bar YouTube, and Song Bar Instagram. Please subscribe, follow and share.
Song Bar is non-profit and is simply about sharing great music. We don’t do clickbait or advertisements. Please make any donation to help keep the Bar running: