Concept: Wild Beasts shoot to elevate the proletariat.
Sound: The sparkling opening bassline sets the bar pretty high for the band, but the whole album keeps the glam and flamboyant dance atmosphere popping along. The hardest part to get over is the frontman’s preposterous range. He holds both a stable baritone and an alarmingly effeminate falsetto that sound like two entirely different people. Mixed percussion and a guitar that insists on the background push forward the cheerleader, and function and form find a good balance with each other.
Lyrics: It’s hard not to scoff at the silly puns and indulgent melismas, but the band eventually drops the foppish gag reel and reveals a storyteller’s tone and sense of change. There is also an unassuming violence to many of the tracks which somehow greets the bright and up-tempo environment. Nowhere is this more evident than on the two-track title piece, painting a dark temper in a light heart.
Quick And Dirty: Fantastical and physical tunes that almost harken back to Bowie. (♦♦♦♦)