Album Review: Chelsea Wolfe – She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She

American singer and songwriter Chelsea Wolfe really hit her stride on She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She, an edgy, multifaceted project boasting uncomfortable yet inviting sensations that ultimately construct her signature sound. One example of this would be “Whispers In The Echo Chamber,” which has a strong, unnerving cinematic quality to it. Loose yet intense instrumentals create a strong wall of sound, unified in the muddy chaos that envelopes the song. Wolfe’s vocals are just as eerie, signifying that something chaotic is about to happen. Distorted metal guitars give this song familiarity at the end of the track, building up into an intense climactic moment in which all hell seems to break loose.

The second track, “House Of Self-Undoing” is much more cohesive, contained, and “professional” in terms of blatant politeness. With this being said, it is important to mention that in terms of profession, the entire album is fully glossed with an impressive studio shimmer, complacent with modern mixing and mastering techniques available to studios today. However, the second track is still just more professional in its arrangement and overall existence as the song is written in a much more “sane,” or collected manner.

Later down the line, “Eyes Like Nightshade” almost combines the elements of skewed chaos with coordinated arrangements as Wolfe puts on an equally questioning yet head-bopping performance. This track is tied together with a spastic, heartbeat of a kick drum, accompanied with disturbing pads. All of the instruments in this piece come together to create a strange sonic jungle, one that is both organic and metallic. Everything feels uncertain in “Eyes Like Nightshade,” which makes the concrete arrangements in the piece hit in such a confusing yet indulgent way.

Overall, She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She is an impressive collection of music. Tracks present themselves in broadly different ways, ultimately creating a vastly interesting blend of music. Genres are blurred to the extent in which the whole project feels genre-less, despite Wolfe’s main themes remaining true. This project is certainly worth listening to no matter what fan of music the listener may be.