Inspired by Jungian philosophy, Bring in the Wild is the confessional inner-journey from Welsh alternative rock artist Catherine Elms.

By Graeme Smith

The instant sense of moodiness in Bring in the Wild is striking. There’s a Tori Amos-esque sense of drama in its unfolding piano melody, while Elms pours on her own brand of electronic-infused rock during the climactic moments of opener The Darker Half.

It’s the lyrics that really stand out there. They are raw, confessional, and close to the bone. “Bring in the Wild is about making peace with the parts of myself I used to suppress and learning to hear what they have to teach me,” says Elms. “It’s about the wild power that comes from self-acceptance.”

The theme of wildness looms large across each of its twelve tracks, and especially in moments like the untethered Brutal Heart, previously released as a successful single. It proves an early highlight.

The album’s other single is Medusa, a suitably slithering composition that brings a sense of sinister. Elms’ philosophy with this album is that “negative” emotions can often be instructive and not to be feared, and that comes through strongly here.

Elsewhere If Destroyed Still True is darkly vaudevillian. I’m Used To That By Now is classical and cinematic. It kicks off a sequence of piano ballads that includes Sinister, Things To Keep Hidden, and Running In Place.

As the album reaches it final leg, we get the jaunty and heavy I Want, the droning Sin Sister, the cathartic Ritual, and lingering album closer Spiral.

Catherine Elms will be launching her new album at Porters, Cardiff on Friday 5 September 2025.

Bring In The Wild is out now, with a sixteen-track extended special edition available to buy as a CD or digital download on Bandcamp. You can listen to it below.