Album Review: Patrick Wolf – Brumalia
3 min read
With not even five months between releases alternative pop prince Patrick Wolf is back with another addition to his ever growing catalogue. This latest offering is Wolf’s fifth studio release but instead of being a full length album, after all his previous record Lupercalia has barely had time to settle within our music collections, the multi-talented musician, who has become known not only for his eclectic releases but also for being a critically acclaimed live performer, has this time offered us an EP by the name of Brumalia.
Brumalia steps into the Wolf catalogue with ease and grandeur as the EP showcases an alluring array of alternative pop wonder.
Every instrument under the sun shows face on Brumalia not unlike his previous records and it’s that that has always been one of the main draws to any Wolf project. Every record that Wolf unleashes on us is a catchy collection of experimentation gone right and it’s been with that bravery and success at penning some truly inspiring pieces of music that the English/Irish singer-songwriter has become such an acclaimed act over his ten years in the spotlight.
As EP’s go Brumalia is a fine release for Wolf with a versatile collection of some of his best work to date.
Bitten introduces us to the collection with an enchanting string arrangement and comes complete with a sublime orchestral opening and a mid tempo rhythm that pieces comfortably around Wolf’s deep vocals and a powerful chant like chorus. A notable moment comes with the second chorus’ harmonies that swing into a brief yet effective piano section.
This Time Of Year is Wolf’s seasonal addition to the EP and it is more suggestive than blatant as the musician doesn’t mention the ‘C’ word once during the songs offering. This one provides the EP’s central filling and does so with flawless ease as we are delivered a number full of brass and a sublime horn section that adds further versatility to Brumalia. The festive addition then leads us perfectly into the piano driven Jerusalem. Though living a fleeting life of just shy of a mere two minutes the song holds up well amongst its peers due to its minimalistic instrumentation and an eerie whistling backdrop.
Another highlight on the EP comes with the closing Trust which takes the syrupy strumming of a harp under its wing alongside an accordion that provides a subtle yet complimenting foundation to the track. Trust also sees Wolf bare his romantic side as he ushers us out with the EP’s standout addition.
Brumalia is a charming release for Wolf that shows off a more developed sound for the musician in its reflective 7 song track-listing that makes up a beautifully composed seasonal release.
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