The pulsing synths crescendo at the start of ‘Lion’s Share’ into vocal harmonies and the synths evolve into two layers, pulsing and beating at the same time like a racing heartbeat. Wild Beasts set the scene for an atmospheric gloomfest while the vocals are sultry and powerful. Every staccato string note played is like a tug on your heartstrings on ‘Invisible’ while Hayden Thorpe laments about loss; the subject matter bears close relation to The National’s ‘Anyone’s Ghost’. Although ‘Albatross’ is not particularly uplifting, the lead single on ‘Smother’ brings theatricality, impressive production and near operatic vocal. Hayden’s falsetto effortlessly carries the emotional weight of the song, the sensuous decline at the end of “drown in me” slightly tremors but billows towards “yeah they drown in me”. The instrumental range is lavish, the layering of the instruments perfectly timed and emphatically intriguing if you try to pick out the individual instruments. Wild Beasts have proven their talent to developing deep emotional songs while mystifying with their short but sweet lyrics. Although Wild Beasts lost out on the Mercury Prize in 2009, I think this could be a strong contender for 2011.
7/10
By Aurora Mitchell
No comments:
Post a Comment