PATRICK WOLF - Crying The Neck

It's a welcome return for Patrick Wolf, more than ten years on from his last album, 2011's “Lupercalia”. A long hiatus broken only by an EP, “Night Safari”, in 2023.

The first of four planned releases (representing the various seasons of the pagan “Wheel of the Year”), the striking cover already evokes the title's subject matter: scything wheat, a physical toil that will be repaid by the long-awaited harvest (also meant in an artistic sense). An evocative shot that inevitably invites a parallel with the iconic cover of Depeche Mode's album “A Broken Frame”, shot by the famous British photographer Brian Griffin.

Turning to the music, the album revives that penchant for eclecticism and genre-blending that marked his early work, even if the reference point still revolves around folk. The sonic textures are fairly layered, with electronics weaving fluidly together with acoustic instruments such as violin, piano and harp, all arranged with greater cohesion and maturity than in the past. You can still sense his gift for crafting sweeping melodies and lavish arrangements, with his voice, always front and centre, having gained in control and emotional depth.

“Crying The Neck” is a record steeped in palpable vulnerability, in which Patrick Wolf seems to have found a new balance between his tendency towards “sonic maximalism” and a certain emotional candour, creating an atmosphere that is at once intimate and cathartic.

The album was written and recorded entirely at his home in Kent, and this has heavily shaped the final result. There's a deep-rooted sense of the local landscape and folklore running through it. The title itself, “Crying The Neck”, refers to an ancient Kent harvest ritual, evoking an intense bond with the land and its traditions. Many of the songs are steeped in natural imagery (the sea, the earth, the woods) and references to pagan and British folklore, which become metaphors for inner states of mind and for the cyclical nature of life.

One of the dominant themes is grief, particularly over the loss of his mother, as in “On Your Side”, a tender Morrissey-esque ballad with a successful pairing of guitar and voice. Another deeply felt theme is recovery from addiction - almost the entire album is an expression of his difficult journey back towards light and stability.

As in the past, Wolf doesn't shy away from striking broader chords, such as a veiled yet pointed critique of a certain “end of England” or a disillusionment with modernity - just listen to the evocative “The Last Of England”, where his vibrant vocals cut sharply through an orchestral sonic backdrop. What follows is one of the album's best tracks, in a loosely Arcade Fire-esque style, “Jupiter”, in which electric guitars trace captivating patterns through a driving melody that pulses with an almost primal energy.

The lyrics are steeped in a disarming vulnerability, yet from this fragility an equally surprising strength emerges, as in "Dies Irae" (universal judgement), a track with solemn tones that nonetheless isn't above winking at the wider audience with choruses tailor-made for fans to belt out at his upcoming shows. Another evocative track, which in parts recalls the sound of John Grant, is "The Curfew Bell", melancholic and contemplative, marked by a genuine triumph of strings.

Also worth mentioning are the guest appearances by Nika Roza Danilova, known as Zola Jesus, on the track titled "Limbo", and by Serafina Steer, English harpist and singer-songwriter best known for her collaborations with Jarvis Cocker, on the track "Lughnasa".

The album is an exploration of how the deepest pain can be transformed into art and into a path of healing, drawing on the ancient wisdom of folklore and the resilience of nature. "Crying The Neck" is a substantial return for Patrick Wolf, one that not only confirms his status as a visionary artist, but cements him as a voice still capable of stirring emotion, through narratives that touch the soul with disarming sincerity.

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11/07/2025