My roommate walked in immediately upon my pressing play. She said, "Is that Nightmare Before Christmas?" in that tone she talks in. And I gave her a look and Hayden continued to sing and she continued to do whatever the hell it is she came in there for and then leave the room to talk to people in that tone of hers.
"Is that [the] Nightmare Before Christmas [soundtrack]?"
I'm not quite sure what the fact that this question was asked means for the album, existentially. To ignorant listeners, listeners who listen to that deplorable new Katy Perry song, perhaps the album has that sort of essence. These Katy Perry fans may or may not be onto something. 'Cos it's haunting in a cartoony way or something like that.
Actually, the first few lyrics of 'Lion's Share' are the only part where I could understand the confusion with Jack Skeleton. Towards the end, Tom Flemming's voice gracefully seeps through with the almost threatening lyric, "Boy, what you runnin' from?" It's terrifying (and so beautiful) how he recites it like a serial killer with a grin. The piano and whooshing instrumentation create an atmosphere in which you can envision yourself in a dark alley...or just being in denial. "'Cause it's a terrible scare, but that's why the dark is there, so you don't have to see what you can't bear." Whoever the narrator is has terrible intentions. And the stunning harmonizing of Tom and hayden's incredible, unique voices make it all the more eerie.
Wild Beats are on a much higher level than I, so the rest of the review will be just as terrible as the beginning. I apologize in the meantime. Bear with me. Why? I don't know.
'Smother' is an album of epic proportions (oh god) when it comes to all those things Wild Beasts are masters at. "What it's about is romantizing the mundane and blowing it up to be something else. We're glamorizing normaility in a way." Ace.
So I can stop there.
Tom Flemming and Hayden Thorpe have vocal techniques and voices that are so original and more classic than probably any other artist right now. Alternative elegance.
Hayden often moans during 'Bed of Nails', which gives you an idea on what it's about. "I would lie anywhere with you," is a nice sentiement but it's not that easy. It carries on to become a sexualized, torturous creation of something...Frakensteinian...something alive.
Tom's voice is captivating and, unlike on 'Two Dancers' with his singing of pagan rituals, it's terribly sad. He sings of waiting, with breakfast all laid out, on 'Deeper'. "the sun is rising/ And going down again" It's sort of painful. You can picture Tom in such conditions. His words on 'Invisible' create a war-like image compact with love and decay. The poignance he bellows propels you into the song. His voice captures you and makes you feel how he feels. It's a certain ability. You feel how he feels on 'Reach A Bit Further' when he is nearly begging. you feel just as desperate. And with 'Burning', you could be at a party (which you probably won't be while listening to this album), he guides you into feeling abandoned, lonely, guilty, defenceless etc. It feels good though. You could cut the passion with a knife. His delivery is that of a lachrymose gentleman.
'Plaything' is a testament to insecurities covered up with sexual ego. First they concur, and then they conquer. Hayden's singing is like a husky shrieking through teeth. He's in a bit of psychological pain addressing the subject. He's holding someone prisoner. it's very Silence of the Lambs. But you see, he has no one tied up in his apartment in East London (...actually I don't know that for sure). This is what they mean by making the dull grandiose. Embellishing fantasies into music. Embracing the imp of the mind. It's just love.
'Albatross' is an eloquent lament about a bird.
No, just kidding. Sort of. There's significance with the albatross. "I, I blame you, I blame you, for all of the tings I've been through." "It's my neck around which you hang."
'Smother is a masterpiece and don't you dare try to argue with that. And when you really grasp it, it's the most rewarding thing Wild Beasts are so very intelligent, original, imaginitive, inventive, tears/euphoria -inducing etc. This album is lonely and comforting. terrifying and satisfying. Stark and brillaint. Sexual and awkward.
Beastly.
9/10
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