Wind In The Wires - Patrick Wolf
Metascore
80 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 20 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 20
  2. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. As an album, WIW seems to have sprung fully-formed from a single night's restlessness; often more organic than much of his debut, but still with a steady electro-backed pulse, its pacing and sequencing flow like water beneath a frozen creek, barely seen and mostly imagined.
  2. Wind in the Wires is a beautifully executed album that has everything: pace, panache, and clean sentiment.
  3. 'Wind In The Wires' is a magnificent record full of the language, imagery and sound of travel.
  4. It's what Bright Eyes coulda done if he put the songs off I'm Wide Awake onto the canvas of Digital Ash.
  5. Naturally, this much theatrical -- but never facetious -- pomp and prettiness can be heavy, but it's never overbearing. Surprisingly, given the album's gravitas, it's relatively easy to enjoy in a single sitting. And another after that.
  6. Wind in the Wires is like Bright Eyes' Digital Ash in a Digital Urn if Nick Cave had made it, a fertile nexus of tradition, technology, and Wolf's powerful pipes.
  7. If 'Wind In The Wires' is not exactly an innocent record, then, it is certainly sincere. And that sincerity, allied to such extraordinary sounding songs, makes for an exhilarating experience. [12 Feb 2005, p.49]
  8. The coherence of Wolf's ethic assures the consistency and believability of his cryptic, erotic, and eerie world.
  9. Superbly imaginative for someone still considered a "lad."
  10. There's a young man's honest pain behind all of the flowery English vernacular.
  11. Lies somewhere between Kate Bush and a deranged Divine Comedy. [Apr 2005, p.124]
  12. At 21, he has the raconteur's wit of a younger Nick Cave still buoyed by the weightlessness of possibility.
  13. Even the weakest moments of Wind In The Wires are steeped in Wolf's vivid imagination and rich musical tapestry. [#9]
  14. Wind In The Wires just feels a bit more hesitant than Lycanthropy, and while there are some great tracks, it doesn't quite have the same energy that his debut did.
  15. It's a welcome surprise that such a young, albeit already well-received, talent can further the analog-digital love affair, minus excessive pretension or mimicry. [Apr/May 2005, p.141]
  16. Wind in the Wires finds Wolf still learning how to harness his undeniable talent. While all this soaring, wind-catching, and destiny molding makes for some seriously inspired (and near-unclassifiable) music, it still means he's capable of losing the thread.
  17. 60
    Brings a little focus--and some memorable tunes--to the proceedings, though Wolf's muse remains doggedly eclectic. [May 2005, p.108]
  18. 60
    Evokes an industrial Enya soundtrack that would play on Frodo's laptop. [#67, p.112]
  19. There's a professional, assured feeling [to] it, but its nagging lack of innovation or [a] truly memorable melody leaves me a little cold.
User Score

Universal acclaim- based on 29 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 22
  3. Negative: 1 out of 22
  1. cf
    10
    Awesome
  2. MarieS
    10
    Incredibly beautiful
  3. KasiaJ
    10
    One of the most wonderful albums I've ever heard, with fantastic tracks and Patrick's deep deep voice. It has changed something in me...