Willi Carlisle’s music has always been a dance between absurdity, spectacle, and philosophy. His fourth studio album, Winged Victory, released in June 2025, has his signature blend of traditionally rooted folk music and a kaleidoscope of oddball characters to convey his conviction that love is bigger than hate, and that by understanding our collective suffering we might be free of it. Here and in 2022’s Peculiar, Missouri and 2024’s Critterland, Carlisle embodies his intent to create art and a well-rounded life in a broken world.