Wild Beasts Hooting And Howling (Domino)
5/5
By: Charlie Hearn
Stemming the tide of the ever ebbing river of new British bands to carve out a niche for yourself can seem like an arduous task at the best of times. Let alone when you start off in a market town at the heart of Cumbria with a music scene that whilst definitely on the up, still leaves a lot to be desired. The four-piece from the lakes first appeared on our radar when their debut single released on Bad Sneakers Records ‘Brave Bulging Bouyant Clairvoyants’ was placed at number 17 in the national independent record label charts. Since then it’s been a steady ascension with Marc Riley and Steve Lamaq both providing their stamp of approval.
‘Hooting & Howling’ is both haunting and mysterious, the first single to be taken from the bands forthcoming second album Two Dancers. Hayden Thorpe’s unique and eerie falsetto is the perfect compliment to the sparse yet eloquent piano and guitar parts. There’s a calculated sense of space and even when the song begins to build and percussion is introduced, there’s still enough room to breathe and avoid over crowding. It’s easy to get lost in the hypnotic qualities of the chorus, helping to create a dark magic that adds to the sinister undertones surrounding the lyrics of the song.
The best thing the band have released since ‘The Devil’s Crayon’ and a fine way to mark the start album number two. Long may their greatness continue.
Artists in this article: Wild Beasts
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