CONCERT REVIEW: WOLF ALICE (COLUMBUS, OH | 09.25.2025)

It was a night of dreamy genre defiance as Wolf Alice took the stage Thursday (September 25, 2025) at Columbus, Ohio’s Newport Music Hall. The UK band is currently on tour promoting their latest album, ‘The Clearing,‘ which, not to oversell it, has proven to be one of the best albums of the year, and Wolf Alice brought a show that matched that energy.

Bassist Theo Ellis noted that Wolf Alice has been to Columbus a few times, but there had never been this large of a crowd at previous shows. While maybe not sold out, it was a packed house.The crowd was a surprising mix of demographics, too, from young to old.

Wolf Alice took the stage at 9:10 and opened with “Thorns,” which is also the opening track on the new album. It was a sign of things to come, as 9 of the 21 songs they played were from The Clearing. “Thorns” is a slower song, but it was clear from the start that lead singer Ellie Roswell’s immensely impressive vocal talent transfers to the stage. Roswell wasn’t always necessarily commanding the stage, sometimes she was subdued and letting the other members do their thing, and then other times she was belting out the lyrics with her arms outstretched, her hair blowing in the fan wind like a true superstar. She did this all while dressed in a white slip, short shorts, stockings, and thigh high boots. While the entire band is impressive and play well together, it was hard to take your eyes off of Roswell.

The band’s sound defies genre. They originally started as a more folk-influenced duo, with Joff Oddie (currently not on tour while on paternity leave) on guitar and Roswell on vocals, and then evolved over the years into the eclectic sound they are today. Just when you think you have them nailed down, they shift into a song like “Bloom Baby Bloom,” which goes from quiet contemplation to confident screaming and back again before you know what hit you. There are the slower acoustic-style songs, such as “Safe From Heartbreak (If You Never Fall in Love),” and the all-out punk stuff, like “Yuk Foo,” which Roswell performed through a megaphone, the stage bathed in red and blue light.

Part of that genre defiance comes from the fact that their sound has evolved throughout all four of their albums, but this latest album seems to be where they’ve found the sound that fits them best, which is some pop, some rock, some indie, and all their own, from the ever catchy throwback “Just Two Girls,” the sublimely dreamy and affirming “The Sofa,” a song about just wanting to unapologetically lie on the sofa. This mixture of sounds allows Roswell to show off her range, from grunge lows to soprano highs, but also gives band members a chance to stretch their musical abilities as well. Ellis was jumping around the stage and encouraging the crowd when the song called for it. Drummer Joel Amey stepped in and drove the set on the harder songs and stepped back on the slower ones.

They encored with the anthemic “Don’t Delete the Kisses” from 2017’s critically acclaimed ‘Visions of a Life.’ The addition of the disco ball and bubbles only amped up the emotional roller coaster of a song that much further.

One couldn’t help but wonder why Wolf Alice isn’t bigger in the States. While it was such a great time to see this band in a smaller venue, The Newport almost felt too small for their talent. It felt like we were seeing something special. They’ve always been a club band, so it was nice to see them continue that trend, even after they recently signed to a major label.

You got the feeling that the next time they come through, it will be at a bigger venue. Now that they’re off the indie label and on to a major one, maybe they’ll finally get some of the footing in the States that they deserve. If they continue putting on shows like this one, you can expect it’s only a matter of time.