Aoife Wolf faces angels and demons in her hazy new single “Bristle of Delusion”

Aoife Wolf is based in Dublin, but the inspiration for her songs seeps beyond the bounds of any place in the real world. Instead, she often pulls inspiration from the spectral and unconscious. The effect of this kind of music is something as addictive as listening to shoegaze greats like the Cocteau Twins and Slowdive—it’s a discography that is ripe with feeling, the meaning hidden somewhere underneath. We can never get enough.

Wolf has just finished supporting My Bloody Valentine bassist Deb Googe in shows across Europe, among other projects, but now she’s back to her own devices. Enter her latest single “Bristle of Delusion”, a song that might be her most vulnerable yet. In it heavy, distorted guitar and blistering strings frame Wolf’s vocal line, the melody crisscrossing into haunting harmonies, all echoing across a minimalist soundscape. The lyrics are an elusive internal monologue, and the meaning of those words is kept out of reach on purpose. Still, Wolf does offer a small peek into her inspiration behind making the song: it’s an exploration of what it’s like to be a woman in an imperfect world.

“Bristle is the first single from my latest project, which was born out of a state of anger and frustration amidst the strange and bewildering experience of inhabiting a woman's body,” she said. “To live within a rich and complex inner world, but being coveted simply on the allure of the female anatomy that is so powerful as to drive many to deceit or violence. I wanted to juxtapose the vulnerability in my vocals with the heavy guitar tone to express the confusion of feeling at once both defiant and disarmed.”

Altogether the song is a beautifully layered and compelling slow-burn. It’s a battle between violence and peaceful surrenders, angels and demons sitting on opposite shoulders, and the heart of the human experience. In addition to this new release, Wolf has shows coming up across the UK too. Before seeing a show, sink into the sounds displayed here. A dirge echoing across dense pine trees, the soil immersing you in a cool, eternal embrace.