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CMU Approved
Approved: Wild Beasts – Albatross
By Andy Malt | Published on Thursday 10 March 2011
There’s been much anticipation in the CMU office for the third Wild Beasts album, its predecessor ‘Two Dancers’ being a firm favourite. Entitled ‘Smother’, the new album is due for release on 9 May. The first single, ‘Albatross’, which precedes it on 2 May, has been streaming on SoundCloud since the weekend, but became available as a free download yesterday.
Initially the song is slightly underwhelming, stripped of the theatrical structures the band have become famous for it seems to plod along aimlessly until disappearing into nothingness. But, if you persevere and explore the subtleties of ‘Albatross’ you uncover many layers with just as much power and tension as the band’s more bombastic work. The entwined guitar and piano, and the delicate and beautiful way various vocals work together, hint that the new album could be something very special indeed.
It was also in a live setting that the songs on ‘Two Dancers’ really came to life for me, so I look forward to hearing this at gigs and festivals over the coming months.
