Live and in photos: Wild Beasts at University of Southampton's students' union (21/11/11)

SOUTHAMPTON embraced Cumbria's finest in warm fashion last night (Monday) as Wild Beasts smothered the transfixed crowd with a typically efficient performance.Showcasing the finest cuts from this year's stellar Smother and 2009's simply wonderful Two Dancers, the quartet consisting of Hayden Thorpe, Ben Little, Tom Fleming and Chris Talbot used their musical expertise to reaffirm why Wild Beasts are arguably the British band that are on the cusp of greatness.Highlights included Ben Little introducing crowd favourite All The King's Men as 'a song about fucking', a fitting retort after Thorpe was described as sexy by an over-amorous male fan.
Oh, and of course Little's torpedo-esque shrieks of "Watch me! Watch me!" in the eponymous song.
There's no denying Wild Beasts are incredible performers; entwining the experimental with electrifying guitar melodies and resonating vocal ranges. But while the songs on Smother may be their most carefully crafted and complex material to date, the album can be a difficult listen and some tracks do not translate for an entirely fulfilling live experience.We've caught Wild Beasts live a couple of times now and another negative of their live shows has to be the disregard to play anything from their first album Limbo, Panto - arguably their most exciting piece of work.
Down points aside, Wild Beasts are an inspiring act and proof classically trained musicians can create alarmingly good music for the trendy knitted sweatshirt masses.
Apologies for the photo quality, the lighting was extremely dark.

Album review: Wild Beasts -- Smother

Read my original review here
If The xx hadn't ridden the crest of a media tidal wave last year, there's little doubt the 2010 Mercury Music Prize would have deservedly fallen into the laps of Wild Beasts for Two Dancers - a theatrical piece of sprawling art-rock; a shining light in a beleaguered British indie scene. The four-piece, hailing from the hotbed of talent that is the Lake District, have spent the past year or so touring the aformentioned record, discovering new sounds, growing as a pack and welcoming a new fan-base thanks to the prestigious nomination.

This period of growth and discovery has birthed the band's third album Smother, a record that ditches the brashness and flamboyancy of stunning debut Limbo, Panto, but channels the rich, emotive and immersive soundscapes of Two Dancers into a mature package. That said, Smother is a dark slow-burner, perhaps too stifled and haunting at points. Gone is the rigorous tempo of fan-favourite 'Brave, Bulging, Buoyant, Clairvoyants', or the drum-filled energy of 'This is Our Lot', and in its place are warbling keyboards, gentle guitar work and passionate vocals.

Hayden Thorpe's unmistakable falsetto voice is in typically breathtaking form and it's warming to hear Tom Fleming continue to capably move to the forefront tracks, like in the finer Two Dancers efforts ('All the Kings Men', 'Two Dancers'), and play off the dizzying heights Thorpe achieves. But does it work? Yes and no. When Smother is on form, you'll be hard-pushed to find a more cohesive, atmospheric record this year, but it can be strenuous at points ('Burning' is a good example of this). Then again, with a title like Smother, this wasn't meant to be an essential summer party collection.

Talking to the Guardian earlier this month, Thorpe claimed Smother was a document of their lives, and it's easy to see where he's coming from in tracks such as frenetic 'Plaything' - a brutally honest account of one's desire for sex without the emotion - and the regret-tinged delight of 'Albatross' ("I blame you for all those things I've been through"). Another high point is succulently layered bustle of 'Reach a Bit Further', featuring Thorpe and Fleming's exciting vocal tandem, and it's difficult not to get a bit giddy over Thorpe's breathless line "tear-jerker, shadow-lurker, wonder-worker, reach a bit further"'.

The concluding heartfelt scorcher of 'End Come Too Soon' is well worth the wait. Complete with shivering backing vocals, trickling guitar melodies, a sinister piano riff and smouldering vocals from Thorpe once again, it drags Smother out of the claustrophobic quagmire to give the album a magnificently uplifting ending. Smother isn't for everyone and it's sure to disappoint fair-weather fans of Limbo, Panto or Two Dancers. It's as impressively handsome as the band itself, boasting a pallet of diverse tones and mouth-watering musicianship, but can it hold up to the striking class of Two Dancers? I'm not so sure, but Wild Beasts will continue to break new ground, inspire and rightfully reap the plaudits.

Top five albums of 2009

2009? Aren't you a bit late?
LUMINOUS Plectrum is busy compiling its end of year lists for 2010 and, while we're at it, here's a reminder of what tickled the fancies last year.

5. Wild Beasts – Two DancersI FEEL far too guilty to be putting this incredible piece of work at number five but, alas, that’s life. Wild Beasts have matured from 2008’s spellbinding Limbo, Panto, to release the beautiful Two Dancers, one of 2009’s greatest highlights. Hayden Thorpe has one of the most definitive, erratic and distinguishing voices in indie rock and clearly sets this band apart from the rest. They’ve grown from the rough and ready hits from Limbo Panto, which included Brave Bulging Buoyant Clairvoyants – arguably one of the greatest songs of the century - to produce immaculate, if a little unfashionable, masterpieces. Bassist Tom Fleming shares more of the vocals on this release and his deeper tones are welcome, but it will always be Thorpe’s punishing vocals that will propel this band to greatness. Think Kate Bush mixed with a little Sparks.
Stand out track: Hooting and Howling

4. Girls – AlbumWE had been waiting a while for Girls’ debut album and it hasn’t disappointed. This could have been my album of the year and it is a clear surf-rock classic for the 21st century (not in the way The Thrills were billed to be a few years back) but I guess I am just fonder of the three above it. Girls are exciting and Album is a joy to listen to. Its androgynous, drug-induced lyrics will push you deeper under Album’s skin with each listen. This is one enjoyable discovery.
Stand out track: Laura

3. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus PhoenixPHOENIX'S latest effort is pop music at its finest. The French rockers have built up a reputation as a band who can put a smile on anyone’s face with hook-driven Summer rock tunes and have put in a stellar effort in trying to succeed their previous and flawless release It’s Never Been Like That. The album is just over 30 minutes long but don’t let that put you off. It’s quality, not quantity and there is a hell of a lot of quality crammed into this beauty. Up-beat opener Lisztomania is one of the catchiest tracks of the year and sets a high precedent but 1901, Fences, Rome and Girlfriend ensure the sun is always shining when listening to this.
Stand out track: 1901

2. Future of the Left – Travels With Myself and AnotherTHIS album is visceral, vicious, vivacious and oh so victorious. We are all mourning the death of Mclusky but this confirms they really are dead. Explosive front man Andy Falkous is on absolute form screaming through alarmingly tight punk rock tracks such as Arming Eritrea, Chin Music and You Need Satan More Than He Needs You. If you haven’t checked out Future of the Left (formed of members from Mclusky and Jarcrew), you really must. FotL are definitely my favourite live act of this year and Travels With Myself and Another is album you won’t be able to take out of your stereo for some time. Prepare to be gripped.
Stand out track: You Need Satan More Than He Needs You

1. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post PavilionPICKING the number one slot was the most difficult part of this list. I thought long and hard as to whether Merriweather Post Pavilion deserved it…and it does by a long shot. To have been released in January and to still hold a significant of playing time on my iPod is something to be commended. It truly is their best effort yet and is a supersonic assault on the senses. They have released countless efforts prior to this but it seems AC have finally created a concise, majestic sound that could easily see them become one of the most important outfits in the past ten years. The wonderful opener, In The Flowers, is arguably one of the greatest music moments of the year. It starts off lazy but explodes into something utterly breathtaking. This is a special album and from the sound of the Fall To Be Kind EP, released earlier this month, it seems as if AC are going to get better and better.
Stand out track: Bluish

Barclaycard Mercury Music Prize: The Nominees - Part 2

WELCOME to part two of Luminous Plectrum's preview of the Mercury Music Prize 2010.

Villagers – Becoming a Jackal

LADBROKES ODDS: 12/1

SITTING alongside an astronomical line up of Animal Collective, Arctic Monkeys and Franz Ferdinand could be a daunting prospect for some bands, but Conor O’Brien’s Villagers are a virtually unknown diamond among a rough of Domino starlets.
Villagers’ debut Becoming a Jackal has fully deserved its nomination with these dark, intense folk tracks.
That Day sounds like a Wilco cover (a good one at that) and I Saw The Dead is as gloriously glum as its title suggests but gallops into a dizzying orchestral thriller.
It won’t win but Becoming a Jackal will immerse itself in the exposure it richly deserves.

Foals – Total Life Forever

LADBROKES ODDS: 12/1

FOALS’ resurgent rise from drab indie imposters to indie mainstays has been truly remarkable.
2008’s Antidotes was forgettable. They tried to jump onto every popular British band at the time to concoct something listenable but failed – miserably.
Take Cassius for instance. It’s like a meow-meow intoxicated Klaxons in full-gurn mode. It’s ear-piercingly erratic.
But the material on Total Life Forever is exciting, tight and full of ideas.
First single Miami is catchy and has a killer guitar hook. If Franz Ferdinand hadn’t turned up seven years earlier with Take Me Out, this would have been a worldwide hit.
After Glow, Blue Blood and the blossoming 2 Tress show a band that has learned from its mistakes.
Perhaps they should be called Horses now? (CRINGE)

Laura Marling – I Speak Because I Can

LADBROKES ODDS: 6/1

GREAT voice. Dull album. Britain is starved of true female stars and the talented Laura Marling deserves to be one of them but until she comes up with something catchy and memorable, Miss Marling is going to be lost in the airwaves.
I’d love to say more on this album but there’s little here to write about.

Wild Beasts – Two Dancers

LADBROKES ODDS: 5/1

ONE of the albums of 2009. Kendal art-rockers Wild Beasts released one of the albums of the 21st century with 2008’s outstanding Limbo Panto and managed to match it with the astonishing Two Dancers.
Bassist Tom Fleming takes a more prominent role in sharing vocal duties with awesome Hayden Thorpe and the results are delicious.
Hooting and Howling is a masterpiece of modern rock/pop, exhibiting Thorpe’s unmistakable vocals with an addictive guitar riff, while Fleming shows he is a more than capable singer on All The King’s Men as he bursts “Watch me! Watch me!” from the very depths of his stomach.
Two Dancers is a magnificent piece of work from start to finish and should finish head and shoulders above the other nominated albums.
*Two Dancers is Luminous Plectrum’s pick for Mercury Music Prize glory.

Mumford and Sons – Sigh No More

LADBROKES ODDS: 6/1

Click for Luminous Plectrum's view

Luminous Plectrum has yet to listen to the Kit Downes Trio album and, therefore, cannot provide an opinion or discuss their chances of winning. Sorry.