Pressure is out now via girls in purgatory

Over the summer, Julia Wolf’s sold-out U.S. tour stopped at Cobra Lounge in Chicago. In a blacked-out tavern hall anchored by a large stage, hundreds of Chicagoans packed in to see one of alt-pop’s newest names up close. The tour is in support of Wolf’s second album, Pressure, which was released last May and is hard to put down once you hear it, and harder to shake once you hear it live.

On first listen, you might gravitate toward “In My Room,” the diaristic emo ballad that’s on track to become Wolf’s first 100 million-stream song. But Pressure doesn’t lean on one centerpiece. It’s Wolf’s most cohesive and thoughtfully crafted album, and holds whether you press shuffle or run it from the top. Oscillating between late-2000s emo and heavy alt-pop with flashes of screamo and trap in the corners, the songwriting is emotional, raw, and driven by thrilling production.

What Pressure keeps returning to in its 11-track run is vulnerability in small moments. “Jennifer’s Body,” built around the Megan Fox movie reference, takes a pop-culture title and turns it inward with the clever refrain “I wish I had Jennifer’s body,”—wanting to look a certain way, and also wanting to be more of what she believes her love interest actually wants. And “Girls” ties the emotional thread to blunt adult honesty– being on the “wrong side of 30,” then letting self-comparison creep in. 

Even when the album leans on internet-era titles, the writing stays pure and non-gimmicky. “Limewire” treats old burned CDs and an old favorite band like relationship loss: when did this stop being a thing in my life? “FYP” flips the dynamic—she’s so popular she keeps landing on someone from her past’s For You Page, whether they want that to happen or not—and she delivers it with a trap cadence that still hits like heavier alt-pop.

When the record does go heavy, it commits. “Loser,” one of my favorites on the album, builds that intensity perfectly while nailing the spiraling feeling of drafting and redrafting a text in the Notes app instead of just sending it. “Pearl” is also the clearest proof–– fast emo-rock drum patterns, guitars pushing hard, and Wolf moving from softer notes into outright screaming. The intensity is the point, but the control is what makes it hit—and that control translated live. Wolf gave album-level vocals supported by a great band, and it was so satisfying to hear. If you haven’t been to a Julia Wolf show, this is the era to finally grab some tickets.

The show was presented by Riot Fest. Ellis opened the with a lighter, warmer touch, and local openers Worry Club played right before Wolf and brought a jolt of energy that fit the night’s momentum. See photos from the show, listen to Pressure, and see all future Julia Wolf tour dates.

Worry Club

Ellis