Wild Beasts
Boy King

Release Date: 2016 | Tracklist

One of the most impressive catalogues of recent years, Wild Beast's previous four albums have traced a natural sounding evolution; the camp sexually provocative melodrama of their truly wild debut made way for the more sophisticated and increasingly sensual take on that album's follow up 'Two Dancers' before the band refined their sound further on the Talk Talk indebted 'Smother' and electro pop referencing 'Present Tense'. It's a run of winners that has no doubt earned the band a great deal of goodwill and a free swing of the bat, one these headstrong lads were unlikely to pass up. For make no mistake 'Boy King' marks the band's largest stylistic departure, less an evolutionary step than strapping on their lab coats and dabbling in some genetic engineering. So it's not just the sound palette that's been revamped this time, rather here the boys decided to shred their established songwriting rule book before gleefully sticking it back together in an attempt to fashion the blueprint for an altogether different animal.

When a band have released four albums and been touring for over ten years there often comes a point where keeping that live show fresh becomes the primary concern. Boredom is the enemy and 'Boy King' shows all the hallmarks of an album built to pep up a tour weary crew; it's brash, full of fun vocal soundbites and easily their most danceable release. For better and for worse this music is a world away from the shimmering elemental beauty that was presented on 'Smother'. The two lead singles released in advance of the album are likely to be particularly divisive as these capture the new song writing approach at its most flagrant; the tongue in cheek 'Get My Bang' is written like fluffy chart dance-pop but reveals its textural charms over repeat listens with the deep bass tones entering at the second verse particularly effective; meanwhile the underwritten 'Big Cat' is rescued by Hayden Thorpe's vocal nuances and sublime singing tone throughout. This is a recurrent theme on 'Boy King' where initial concerns are frequently allayed by a classic touch or two, whether that's the additional melody that appears at the minute mark in 'He the Colossus' or the watertight rhythmic backbone that lifts the swirling 'Celestial Creatures' when the nondescript vocal melodies threaten to stifle the song.

The album may be defined by chest beating bravado but pleasingly the band still find space for some of their trademark expansive fare. Closing track 'Dreamliner' is little more than ambient textures and a pretty Thorpe vocal but that doesn't stop it from being a highly welcome soothing farewell, effectively mopping the listener's sweaty brow as they're released back into the night. Meanwhile it's obvious on 'Boy King' that second lead vocalist Tom Fleming has taken a markedly reduced role here but he's still afforded the opportunity to put in a star turn on '2BU', a song that effectively serves as the centrepiece of the album and surprisingly is a strong shout for standout track. On an album that sees the promotion of energy and rhythm ahead of melody and diversity for the most part these songs are an absolute godsend and will afford 'Boy King' some genuine longevity.

In the past Wild Beasts have always managed to straddle that line between romance and raw predatory instinct without ever falling into outright lechery, striking those winning seductive notes whilst effortlessly sidestepping even the merest hint of cheesy suaveness. 'Boy King' is strikingly brave as it attempts to do away with much of this trademark charisma, stripping the characters who populate this world down to their ugly base primal urges; this is the first Wild Beasts album where the audience isn't always rooting for a song's protagonist. Certainly you are expected to be highly suspicious of the 'big cats' and 'virgin killers' who stalk these songs, regardless of any doubts and frailty they may inadvertently betray at times; if in the past you pictured this band as presenting warped versions of their own selves through their lyrics this is where that illusion has unceremoniously been curtailed. Of course in many ways this is problematic, especially if a large chunk of this act's appeal was enjoying that well cultivated personality. It is to the great credit of Wild Beasts that this is far from the killer blow you'd expect; instead of floundering you find a band expanding their range whilst successfully completing that primary objective of injecting a couple of hip swinging bangers into their live set.

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