Wild Beasts
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Biography
Hailing from the Lake District, Wild Beasts, pricked ears in 2006 with the fantastical single "Brave Bulging Buoyant Clairvoyants", indicating the ambitious nature of what was to come. Eventually signing to Domino Records, Wild Beasts have so far released two albums, their debut "Limbo, Panto", in 2008, and its follow up "Two Dancers" in 2009, both of which gained critical acclaim, whilst being accessible enough for music fans to embrace their style, often described as baroque.
Vocalist, Hayden Thorpe, with his falsetto and three octave range, has attracted comparisons to other noted occupants of the upper registers, such as Sparks' Russell Mael and Kate Bush. With lyrics, guttural flourishes and high notes, that are sometimes suggestive, sometimes erotic, sometimes oddly sinister, but always entrancingly elegant, Wild Beasts push the boundaries of popular music's style and subject matter.
Playing the Fred Perry Stage at this year's Dot to Dot, Wild Beasts were one of the most anticipated bands performing at the festival. We were lucky enough catch their set featuring the brilliant "This is Our Lot", "Two Dancers", and "Hooting & Howling", and chat to them earlier in the day, about their songs and that amazing voice.
Reviews
Two Dancers is a continued leap further into genuine stardom. A concise, balanced and throbbing jewel of an album, which you'll either hate - Hayden's unique falsetto divides opinion - or make you end up throwing all your belongings into the street because they just seem all so damn pointless.
Vocals are shared between bassist Tom Fleming (who reintroduces Whitby - for the first time since Cud anyway - into song on All The King’s Men) and main singer Hayden, who looks and sounds like he was kidnapped by brutes from a Home Of Exquisite Boys. With his flimsy limbs and pale loveliness he'd probably lose out if confronted with a falling leaf. His voice helps make Wild Beasts a cut above the rest. Whether dirty-angelic about booty calls and boots on opener The Fun Powder Plot, the clenched intent of Hooting And Howling or croonily effervescing on We Still Got The Taste Dancin' On Our Tongues or operatically going a bit Mansun on Underbelly. Stand-out of an album chock-full of them is This Is Our Lot: a potential lighters-aloft anthem that will be their end of set anthem moment for a good few years yet.
A very modern rock album with an ambitious appeal, yet unafraid to be a bit arty, Two Dancers is the sound of horny young urchins running amok through an insatiable widescreen soup of desire and wonders. Ladies and gentlemen, if you haven't twigged already, Wild Beasts are your new favourite band.
bbc.co.uk
