Staff Reviews

Wild Beasts - Boy King

Review by Adam Turner-Heffer

Doesn't quite give itself enough time to really build into anything beyond ten expertly produced and written pop songs»

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Rough Trade Exclusive with a Bonus CD of three five minute tracks each called 'Boy King Negatives' music created to accompany and a reaction to 'Boy King'. Wild Beasts release their new album 'Boy King'. Their most direct and vital collection to date. The quartet's ever-present knack for sensual melody via Hayden Thorpe and Fleming's dueting vocals, Ben Little's sinuous guitar groove and Chris Talbot's potent rhythm section carries in Boy King an aggressive, snarling and priapic beast that delves into the darker side of masculinity and Thorpe's own psyche. A newfound creative friction between Thorpe and Fleming proved key to unleashing the unique pop sensibility of 'Boy King' - Fleming's more visceral experimentation unlocking new dimensions in Thorpe's own writing. After spending a whole year finessing this new found impetus in East London, the band emerged with a collection of songs ready to take to Dallas and producer John Congleton (St. Vincent, Swans, The War on Drugs). Between the slide of prowling aggression and interior darkness, there are glorious, gorgeous moments. It's yet another incomparable Wild Beasts record; a visceral, sensual and jolting body of work that acts as a remarkable soundtrack to the early 21st century male malaise.
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