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Album of the Week: Wolf Alice, 'My Love Is Cool'

Wolf Alice, 'My Love is Cool'
Wolf Alice, 'My Love is Cool'© 2015 RCA Records.

June 22, 2015

The debut from North London's Wolf Alice is one of the most anticipated releases of the year after the quartet teased fans with two EPs and a U.S. tour this spring. Their in-your-face single, "Moaning Lisa Smile," made them a hit sensation across the pond, and then the quartet took SXSW by storm, garnering critical acclaim for their hard-hitting live show, performing new songs like "Giant Peach."

Taking their name from English Novelist Angela Carter, the band combine literary influences with loud guitars and a heavy rhythm section, creating one of the most magnetic sounds of 2015. If you aren't convinced by their alt-rock impersonation, My Love is Cool exposes another side of Wolf Alice, opening the album with the subdued "Turn to Dust" and "Bros."

Formed by Ellie Rowsell and Joff Oddie while still hanging out at all-ages venues in the London borough of Camden, Wolf Alice are the perfect combination of teen humor and angst, which is reflected in their music videos for "Fluffy" and "Blush." Though the brooding Rowsell doesn't seem interested in the spotlight, her voice is hypnotic and commands your attention on songs like "You're A Germ."

Like most great rock music, Wolf Alice can be unpredictable. Just as you think a song is going to fall apart, they into a screaming chorus of guitars. My Love is Cool joins the guitar rock albums going against the "popternative" trends of the last year. It's reminiscent of '90s alternative without being a carbon copy of the past or a cliché.

Wolf Alice's debut album My Love is Cool is out on June 23 on RCA Records.