Album Review: Patrick Wolf – Lupercalia
3 min read
Following 2009’s The Bachelor, eccentric multi-talented London based musician Patrick Wolf returns with his latest record Lupercalia released through Hideout Records. With a gorgeous and highly versatile set of lungs and a talent in a vast array of musical instruments including piano, ukelele and violin, the flamboyant musician returns in full force with his latest addition to an already acclaimed and impressive run of releases.
Lupercalia acts as Wolf’s fifth studio release and is already being hailed as one of the musicians most profound and musically enlightening releases to date.
So far the album has spawned the single The City which introduces us to the maturing sound of what we are in store for on Lupercalia. Hook driven and musically sturdy the track is the key selling point of the record and is dripping in euphoria with its pounding eighties drum beats, a subtle yet effective horn section that adds a further filling to the track as well as its bouncy and memorably melodic chorus.
The South London singer/songwriter pays homage to his South London upbringings with the sublime harp filled Bermondsey Street. The track provides the album with a vocally meaty addition with an occasional sprinkling of Spanish guitar that adds versatility to the number before the light and fluffy The Future takes hold and sends us through three minutes of acoustically charming instrumentation and beautifully united harmonies provided by Wolf and one of his talented backing singers.
Time Of Your Life is one of the records masterpieces with its sweetly composed string section opening the track into an array of musical attributes, something that has become synonymous with Wolf over his many releases. The track sits well within the collection as one of the highlights and has already gone on to become one of the singers more recent signature tracks and fan favorites.
Among the uptempo numbers that are dotted throughout Lupercalia Wolf offers us a few sublime and well crafted ballads that balance out the track-listing beautifully. Among these The Days is a haunting inclusion to the latter half of the Lupercalia. Its swaying strings that form the backbone to the track make for a very eerie listen and as the violins enter the track over Wolf’s groaning vocals we are transported to a place full of melancholia and anguish as Wolf sings “and in that traveling, my self damaging, I took my love, far far from you” with pure conviction.
Another notable on the record and our personal favorite has to be Together. With a deep synth backdrop the track oozes eighties nostalgia within each and every beat and has remix worthy written all of it. It’s both lyrical astounding and musically stunning wrapped into a neat five minute package of nostalgic pop with some complimenting female vocal peaks thrown in for good measure.
As the album draws to a close we are given some upbeat goodness in the form of The Falcons. Displaying raw vocals and a myriad of musical instruments backing the leading man the track twists and turns through an enchanting array of strings, bouncy beats and exquisite vocals.
With a catalogue to envy and talent that doesn’t show any signs of running out any time soon Patrick Wolf has proved to be a pivotal addition to the UK’s bustling list of eccentric and inventive singer/songwriters. With Lupercalia Wolf takes his sound to a new level and we are given a matured and musically powerful addition to the musicians already expansive career.
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