REVIEW: Afton Wolfe – ‘Ophiuchus’

Afton Wolfe has always carried a touch of the mystic in his songwriting, but his audacious, star-aligned second LP ‘Ophiuchus’ is the moment he stops hinting at the supernatural and fully embraces it. This new release is a year-long ritual released in lockstep with the Sun’s true path across the sky. It’s bold, it’s weird, it’s electrifying, and it might just be Wolfe’s most dazzling achievement to date.

From the moment ‘Invocation’ lit the fuse last winter, he has been slowly unfurling this project like an ancient spell. And when the album finally lands on the 30th November, as the Sun reaches the mysterious constellation of the Serpent Bearer, the full scope of his ambition snaps into focus.

The tango-soaked swagger of ‘Rules of War’ hits with cinematic flair with his voice, a bourbon-soaked narrator, slinking through smoke and danger. While ‘Forgive Yourself’ bursts forward in a triumphant fusion of funk, gospel pulse and hip-hop rhythm, delivering a hands-in-the-air moment that feels like salvation in real time.

He digs deeper, too. ‘One Million Children’ is blistering and urgent, spinning fury into melody with breathtaking speed. While ‘Crooked Roads’ is pure Americana gold, as warm and wistful as a summer evening sliding into dusk. And ‘Winter Comes for Mary’ pulls the temperature down, offering a stark, beautiful lament that aches long after it ends.

Throughout its runtime, ‘Ophiuchus’ feels cosmic yet grounded, a rare feat in an era of disposable singles and algorithm-driven sameness. Each release came wrapped in Cora Lee’s lush constellation art, and together the visuals and music feel like two halves of the same incantation.

What makes the album so thrilling is his total commitment to storytelling, experimentation, and bending genres until they glow. It’s the culmination of a remarkable run of releases since 2021, but more importantly, it’s the sound of an artist stepping into his full creative power.

‘Ophiuchus’ is big, brave and gloriously alive. Afton Wolfe shot for the stars, and this time, the stars shot back.

Afton Wolfe’s ‘Ophiuchus’ will be available to stream in full from the 30th November.