Alex Warren - Wildchild
Reflections on love, loss, and the challenges of an uncertain future drown in an endless sea of ballads on Alex Warren's second album.
Alex Warren may be the most charming new male pop star to emerge in recent years. His social media videos radiate a kind of childlike joy and playfulness, while his interviews are often filled with genuine warmth. That makes for a striking contrast with the rather difficult life story that runs through much of his artistic timeline: losing his parents, searching for love, and wondering what the future might hold. WILDCHILD, his second studio album, continues to explore those themes, even if it doesn't always handle them gracefully.
The album opens with the upbeat “EMERALD EYES”, a song about love as a source of salvation in difficult times. It's a playful, harmless piece of contemporary pop, spiced up with stadium-sized chants and an addictive bassline. One of the album's most memorable tracks, “PASSENGER”, turns to the helplessness of being in a relationship with someone who simply doesn't care about you. And while the verses don't quite land, the song is rescued by a catchy chorus and one of the record's boldest bridges.
Strongest moments on WILDCHILD come on “I MISS YOU MORE”, which addresses the tragic loss of Warren's parents. It's the album's most emotionally charged moment, finally giving him an opportunity to showcase the full extent of his songwriting ability. “FEVER DREAM” may be the most enjoyable song of Warren's career so far, taking the best elements of radio-friendly pop-rock and pairing them with one of his most confident vocal performances. It's genuinely excellent, and I only wish there were more songs like it here. The reflective “LAST TIME”, in which Warren contemplates the futility of existence, benefits from a pleasant indie sound and another genuinely impressive vocal performance.
The problem with WILDCHILD is that its ballads tend to weigh it down. “RESCUER”, reminiscent of Olivia Rodrigo's tearjerking ballads, feels like an unremarkable follow-up to Warren's biggest hit, “Ordinary”, while on the suffocating “SAME STARS”, he sounds almost painfully unconvincing in his attempt to convey tragedy. “CRY WOLF”, meanwhile, feels roughly 10 to 15 years out of date, sounding like something artists such as Mumford & Sons or The Lumineers might have released during the peak of their stomp-and-holler era. In 2026, that particular sound doesn't feel so much bad as... awkwardly funny.
Gospel-inspired “FINE PLACE TO DIE” could have been a great song, but Warren's voice seems to lack the necessary force. In moments that demand the biggest emotional release, he sounds as though he's deliberately pulling back, leaving the song feeling like a lighter that keeps going out in a strong wind. WILDCHILD is full of promising ideas that sit awkwardly alongside moments that sound downright bizarre in 2026. “WON'T GO BACK AGAIN”, for instance, sends a postcard straight from the mid-2010s, with enough meme potential to become the unofficial anthem of wolves tipping their hats and sitting beneath trees.
Warren's debut album, You'll Be Alright, Kid, was overloaded with similar material, suffocating the listener with its bloated runtime and constant sense of going nowhere. WILDCHILD doesn't make any dramatic leaps forward, but it seems to have learned a few lessons from its predecessor. Warren's second album feels more focused and cohesive, with fewer songs that make you want to reach for the skip button. At its best, it even suggests that the artist is taking small but meaningful steps in the right direction.
5.0/10
