Elijah Wolf made his debut back in 2018 with ‘On The Mtn Laurel Rd’, which dealt with the death of his grandfather, and the sale of his childhood home, and was recorded almost entirely alone in his Brooklyn apartment. That record garnered high praise from the likes of Under The Radar, and Paste, but with his new single, ‘Brighter Lighting’, he’s moved out of the self-isolation and into a more collaborative, immersive sound. It seems counter-intuitive, given that more artists are becoming introspective due to the pandemic, and he’s doing the opposite; but Wolf knows that, and he’s chosen to instead focus on the infinite possibility that’s outside his four walls. A native of Phoenicia, in upstate New York, he has drawn heavily from his surroundings, with much of ‘Brighter Lighting’ inspired while he took long-distance runs through the backroads of the Catskills: his very sound is infused with Dogwoods, and chickweed.
The brightly textured ‘Brighter Lighting’ features a piano that is sprawling its way through the track, in no hurry to reach its destination. There’s also psychedelic guitars, and vintage instruments, happy to be played and share their tunes. Elijah is joined by his friend Nels Cline, of Wilco fame, who with his guitar is only one part of a band he’d pulled together for the track. Wolf says,
“I had spent quite some time reflecting on the experience writing my first record, a deeply lonely & personal one. This song is about looking back on those days & how life has moved far past them. It’s about taking those experiences & moving forward.”
Director Dylan Kaplowitz shot the ‘Brighter Lighting’ clip on a Super 8 camera, and takes in all the views of Wolf’s hometown, just as he may have seen them on his runs. Houses with big front porches, wide open spaces, and the Catskill range, the hidden waterfalls with their pure ice cold water, all star in the video, each finding their perfect role to play. Wolf strums his acoustic guitar, surrounded by the silence of the deep dark woods, and we feel as though we’ve caught a glimpse of a dude who’s just trying to get out of his own head and put down some great songs.
Elijah Wolf’s second album is out tomorrow, 26 February. Watch the video for ‘Brighter Lighting’ below, and check out more about Elijah and his music online on Twitter.