Oscar and the Wolf is the multifaceted solo project of Belgian pop musician Max Colombie, whose work has ranged over the course of his career from indie folk to dream pop and sleek electronic pop. After finding his footing with a series of EPs, Colombie's first two full-lengths, 2014's Entity and 2017's Infinity, topped the Belgian pop charts. After some time away, he issued a new track called "James" in 2021, the first taste of material from a third album, The Shimmer, which saw release later that year.

Colombie launched the project in 2010, initially fashioning it as a folk-oriented band in the mold of Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver. After their debut EP, Imagine Mountains, Oscar and the Wolf signed with PIAS Records and returned in 2012 with a second EP, Summer Skin, this time trending more toward dreamy guitar pop. With Colombie taking a more dominant role as producer, he again altered the project's sound with 2014's shadowy Entity album, which recast Oscar and the Wolf as a moody indie electronic act. This sea change resonated with fans and the album topped the Belgian charts, going double platinum.

Over the next two years, Colombie built up his live presence, supporting Róisín Murphy on an extensive European tour, then selling out major venues in Antwerp and Amsterdam as a headliner. His second full-length, 2017's Infinity, continued in the tonal style of its predecessor and found success in equal measure, hitting number one in Belgium behind the hit single "Breathing." Following a four-year gap, Colombie returned in April 2021 with the single "James." July brought the sun-drenched, mid-to-late-'80s radio friendly "Oliver," and was followed by "Livestream". All three tracks appeared later that year on an album titled The Shimmer, in reference to Alex Garland's 2018 sci-fi film, Annihilation. ~ Timothy Monger, Rovi