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There’s nothing else like this out there that’s as perfectly realised as this, and to draw upon previous, albeit indirect precedents, that leaves only one outcome from this unruly verbiage.
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Alopecia, their third full-length release and second as a full band, is a darkly tinged juggernaut.
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As for his lyrics, it's wrong to call them stream-of-consciousness, since that implies Wolf is a poor self-editor; nothing about Alopecia is lazy. It's more like 5 a.m. journal entries cut up and turned to collage.
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Alopecia is a very good, occasionally great record that is just a little bit closer to nailing this hip-hop acid nightmare of a sound than what's come before it.
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Alopecia stands out as an interesting little album.
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It’s a syrup-sick pop rotted by dark folk, elaborate rhythms and droning psychedelia, but it’s always tight--meticulously so--making Alopecia an across the-board delicacy of warped obsession.
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It's his lyrics, brutally honest and often desperate, that elevate Alopecia from curiosity to conquest.
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Alopecia goes beyond heartache and self-pity to examine the desperation, self-loathing and delirium that a relationship can leave in its wake. Wolf deftly renders this misery with a painter’s eye, refusing to shy from even the most embarrassing details, damning though they may be.
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It displays both crypticness and honesty, intellectualism and vulgarity in equal measure, challenging and placating its audience in the same drawn-out, undefined, nasally breath.
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Under The RadarWhy? are back with their most accessible record to date. [Spring 2008, p.85]
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Q MagazineHe sing-raps stream-of-consciousness tales that, coupled with instrumentation from his brother Josiah and Doug McDiarmid, create contagious songs. [May 2008, p.141]
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MojoWolf's sing-speak vocals are arresting. [May 2008, p.112]
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Alopecia exhibits impressive growth and an admirable attention to detail that places yet another unique stone along Yoni Wolf’s fascinating career arc.
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Once you get the lay of the land of Alopecia -- with its ethereal production, endlessly analyzable wordplay, and moments of supreme pop clarity -- it’s a captivating realm to explore.
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FilterI have no idea what's he's saying. I have absolutely no idea why the record is called Alopecia. But as I keep playing it, I really don't care. [Winter 2008, p. 100]
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Alternative PressIt's not as groundbreaking as "Eyelash," but it's another small step in the group's constant evolution. [Apr 2008, p.163]
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Laced with bariny raps, cooing backing vocals, and a keen attention to meloncholy melodic detail, Why? almost one-ups those heady precursors [Fountains of Wayne, Rentals]. [Apr 2008, p.106]
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 38 out of 43
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Mixed: 1 out of 43
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Negative: 4 out of 43
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Nov 23, 2010
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BenK.Apr 18, 2008Not usually my style, but I can't stop listening. Gets more melancholic every time I play it.
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JamesM.Apr 16, 2008Excellent, although a bit hit and miss in my opinion.