Since we are still pretending Mistake in Parting did not happen, The Dark (Loma Vista Recordings) is Chelsea Wolfe’s ninth “official” studio album. Here is where she steps into the big time, so to speak. It only makes sense, as artists she influenced like Ethel Cain are currently playing the fabulous Ms. Wolfe, so it is her time to step out from behind the ghostly veil of reverb and prove who she is by singing out with a more stripped, organic production for the soulful “Cold” that opens the album. 

This time around, to solidify her ascent to becoming a more household name, she is working with producer Jennifer Decilveo, who has also worked with The Gossip, Miley Cyrus, Bat For Lashes, and Hozier. Her voice sounds great, and it fits comfortably in her wheelhouse. She continues the organic approach to vocal production with  “Seethe,” which is also more of a straight-ahead Rock song. It is not as dark as her previous work. Not too far removed from, say, Florence and the Machine. The drums groove thanks to Tori Amos/Pearl Jam/ David Bowie/Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians drummer, Matt Chamberlain, playing on this album. 

“Humours” is more back to the shadows basic for her, which she knows she needs to return to the shadows her fan base expects to find her in. Though she has denied being Goth, this album gives weight to her claims; it also distances her from the more folk-based singer-songwriters like Marisa Nadler or Emma Ruth Rundle, as her songwriting sprawls out into a much broader range than Doom Folk. If anyone was wondering if she could sing or was just hiding behind the stylistic approach, this album clears that up. There is a more rock feel to “Swallower,” though it does include many of her sonic staples, like tinges of haunting guitar notes that ring out.  

“Halo” ambles along with a hooky flow. So far, the vibes of this album remind me most of Birth of Violence. Weirdly, Angel Olsen collaborator Ben Babbitt lent a hand on the title track, as it’s stripped down to her just playing guitar, and it’s not until two minutes in that other layers of sound begin to rise around it. So they just helped her flesh it out. “Turn the Key” finds Robin Fink of Nine Inch Nails dropping some guitar in. She contrasts the brooding with a more accessible slice of Americana for “I’m Not There.” This should leave little doubt she is shoulder to shoulder with any singer stepping up to a mic these days. 

“Death is Not the End” opens with the more familiar fragile introspection she is known for and builds to a heavier sonic dirge of emotion driving the song. Often thought of as being Metal-adjacent, this is the only moment that invokes this dynamic. The album closes with “Dancer in the Sky,” a ballad. She slowly works from a minimalist piano line into one of her most compelling vocal performances. Perhaps it’s Wolfe settling into a more recent sober lifestyle that is making her comfortable in her own skin. Whatever she is doing is clearly working and allowing her continued creativity, as she has once again blessed us with another flawless album.  

Buy the album here: 
https://amzn.to/4isw3HA
 

10 / 10
WIL CIFER
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