Alexander Wolfe – Everythinglessness

After almost six years, Alexander Wolfe returns with his fifth studio album Everythinglessness. It appears that during his hiatus, the singer-songwriter from Cambridge has been reflecting and reckoning with the concept of masculinity, the mental health crisis and what it means to be a man in present-day society. Indeed, in the midst of music discussing love, fame, wealth and power, British artists such as The Streets, Kano, and King Krule have focused more on the day-to-day challenges that life may bring with frank delivery and lyrics that are refreshingly honest. Their music has been a hit amongst people, namely men, who were and are navigating the transition from youth to adulthood, and with this album, Wolfe aims to join their ranks.

Wolfe has been candid about his own mental health journey and wrote the album during his time in a mental health rehab facility. The result is a profoundly introspective record that feels like a conversation between Wolfe and the world. This is especially prevalent in songs such as Lewisham Conversation and The Toughening, which address the societal pressures on men and how psychological challenges and a feeling of helplessness can take root at a young age. Whilst many of the songs are quite loaded instrumentally, the stripped-back bareness and tenderness of These Are the Days offers an immediate oasis, allowing Wolfe’s emotion to shine through.

Certain production elements seek to emphasise the album’s thematic purpose further. The titular song Everythinglessness contains the sporadic sound of a man sighing, which, alongside the dynamic climax of clustered synth sounds, could be Wolfe’s representation of the chaos inside the mind of someone struggling. In Talk, as the lyrics proclaim, “all I know is what you’ve got to do is talk,” the buildup of background harmonies is subtle and almost spiritual in its cadence, and acts as the perfect accompaniment to the lyrics. Additionally, the atmospheric instrumentation in The Softening aptly generates a softness that is needed to close the album after the heaviness of the subject matter.

Whilst admirable in its sentiment and purpose, there is a need for greater variation from track to track, and more considered instrumentation to highlight rather than mask the meaning of the words. This ultimately could have contributed to the album leaving more of a lasting impression. Nonetheless, with Everythinglessness, Wolfe has created a deeply personal record that shines a spotlight on mental health with fearless honesty.