Patrick Wolf - Crying The Neck

Patrick Wolf returns from an extended hiatus with his most grounded and mature release to date, shaped by survival rather than spectacle.

Released in 2023 after years of personal upheaval, Crying The Neck marks a decisive shift away from the dramatic electronics and urban romanticism that once defined his work. In their place is a sound rooted in land, ritual, and continuity, drawing heavily from British folk traditions, seasonal cycles, and regional history. This is not a comeback built on reclaiming past identity, but one focused on rebuilding something steadier and more durable.

Acoustic instruments, strings, and hand-played rhythms dominate the arrangements, giving the album a tactile, almost physical presence. Songs unfold patiently, often circling rather than driving forward, while Wolf’s voice feels calmer and more assured, carrying experience instead of urgency. Grief and recovery coexist here, framed through landscape and tradition rather than confession alone.

Crying The Neck is an album about return without regression. It captures an artist who has stepped away, lived through collapse, and come back changed, offering a record that values permanence over intensity and depth over drama.