''Creature Songs'' is the third

extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.

(EP) by English

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commerci ...

band

Wolf Alice Wolf Alice are an English rock band from London, England. Formed in 2010 as an acoustic duo comprising singer Ellie Rowsell and guitarist Joff Oddie, Wolf Alice have also featured bassist Theo Ellis and drummer Joel Amey since 2012. Wolf Ali ...

. It was released on 26 May 2014 through

Dirty Hit Dirty Hit is a British independent record label founded in December 2009 by Jamie Oborne, Brian Smith, and former England footballer, Ugo Ehiogu. It is currently based in West London, England. Their releases are distributed to digital platforms ...

. The EP was produced by Catherine Marks. The EP was preceded by the release of "

Moaning Lisa Smile "Moaning Lisa Smile" is a song by English alternative rock band Wolf Alice. It was released on 3 April 2014 as a single from their second EP, '' Creature Songs'' (2014). It also appears on the US edition of their debut album, '' My Love Is Coo ...

", which was uploaded to the band's

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page.

Composition

Barnabas Abraham of '' The 405'' said "''Creature Songs'' features a more aggressive edge that marks itself on the EP's opening two tracks, and overall the EP is another refreshing sample of a group who carry an infectious energy." ''

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''s Rhian Daly described the EP is a mix of "dark

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fo ...

and grisly grunge," further elaborating: "It's an approach that makes the London four piece a moodier, gothier Metric, but at least they're upfront about it on this new EP. The first half – 'Moaning Lisa Smile' and 'Storms' ("My demon's my friend, so fight me") – comes on like the ritual sacrifice of

Throwing Muses Throwing Muses are an American alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Newport, Rhode Island, United States, that toured and recorded extensively until 1997, when its members began concentrating more on other projects. The group was originall ...

with

Courtney Love Courtney Michelle Love (née Harrison; born July 9, 1964) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, and actress. A figure in the alternative and grunge scenes of the 1990s, her career has spanned four decades. She rose to prominence as ...

's rustiest guitar strings before 'Heavenly Creatures' and 'We Are Not The Same' indulge their softer psychedelic doom-folk side, the dejected calm after the massacre." Emma Swann of ''

DIY "Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and sem ...

'' characterized the EP as "2014 grunge", and added: "The angst oozing from the guitars of Ellie and bandmate Joff Oddie is tangible, whether accompanied by the yells of single 'Moaning Lisa Smile' and the even fiercer follow-up 'Storms', or the near-whispers of final two 'Heavenly Creatures' and 'We're Not The Same'."

Critical reception

'' critic Emma Swann wrote, "It's definitely an EP of two halves: Wolf Alice can – and do – ace both loud and quiet. There's 'Moaning Lisa Smile' with a chorus that's nothing short of glorious, and some deft sonic layering – putting Ellie's powerful vocals over impeccable hooks and repeated aural blasts. And 'Storms' is even louder. The gem of the EP, it's blistering, riff-driven grunge with a pop chorus that's guaranteed to cause mayhem wherever it's played. It's fucking massive." Barnabas Abraham of '' The 405'' stated that the EP is "much more ambitious in its aim, and succeeds for the most part. It's slower, more down-tempo, but scales the subtleties in sounds used. It's a really well balanced track, drawing itself along nicely," and concluded his review saying: "If we're to see a studio album from Wolf Alice, you'd kinda hope it kicks the face off whatever target it chooses to go for. Creature Songs suggests they've got the balls to do just that."

Track listing

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Creature Songs''. * Catherine Marks – production, mixing * Paul Edouard Laurendeau – engineering * John Davis – mastering

References

{{Authority control 2014 EPs Wolf Alice albums