Wild Beasts - Limbo Panto

otm

so it seems a new album's about to "drop". Judging from the track previewed on Q mag website - seems they're still mining the same mood as Smother. I really liked that album when it came about but it ultimately never clicked for me as hard as Two Dancers.

the most boring band i've ever seen live.

you are crazy

If the new track you're talking about is "Stray," I think that's just a Smother b-side, the post on Q is a bit misleading.

Yeah, that's nuts, dig latin. This band are awesome and wonderful live.

xp - ah yes, it did sound faintly familiar.

xxxp yeah that is some crazy talk - seeing those guys swap leads and howl away is the ind of stuff that makes you fall in love with music all over again

They did say on Twitter that they'd be dropping something new this week though.

they're outstanding musicians and seemed like really nice dudes, don't know what else u could want live

they look amazing too!

Very excited for any new Wild Beasts. One of my favourite bands going.

This interview makes the new album sound very interesting. It seems like the last thing they want to do is repeat themselves which is fine by me.

http://www.thisisfakediy.co.uk/articles/features/wild-beasts-we-almost-justified-our-existence/

They just cryptically tweeted "Simple future" (title of their new album or single?) along with a link to their website. http://www.wild-beasts.co.uk/

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE (x1000)

So yeah, something is coming on the 7th.

True enough, that.

Oh man, we have to wait until July 1st!?!?!?!

;)

Exciting news.

Their new single/video, "Wanderlust".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IIbbFIQTKI

Could be a grower, but on first listen, it doesn't sound like the best choice for a first single. Gorgeous video though.

They weren't kidding about this album being more synth-y, at least with this song.

Loving this after one listen. Really hearing the Kate Bush influence though

amazing, thanks

Definitely the quintessential Wild Beasts song title.

Reminds me of "Everyone Wants to Rule the World" oddly enough.

Love it! This band just never let me down.

If the single is any indication of the sound of the rest of the album, it'll probably be their most conventional album yet, but it'll still stick to their "never making the same album twice" thing.

hmmm I have to disagree - I have a feeling this oen is going to be quite left-field (also judging by that long recent interview they did)

full new album/ tour details

http://www.wild-beasts.co.uk/

urgh horrible cover though

yeah that is hideous, esp. when their last album's art was so lovely

Glad the album is out so soon. It coming out on the same day as the new St. Vincent album is pretty cool too.

I maybe take back my last comment: "Present Tense is a dramatically new album – taking cues from the most intense and effervescent of 1980s and 1990s electronic sound but rethinking and retooling these elements with exquisite detail for the 21st century"

Not sure how that single is 'conventional'. Am sure that it's brilliant, though.

"Wanderlust" just sounds that way TO MEEEEEE when measured against the cabaret-whatever you describe it as of Limbo Panto, the stripped-down aesthetic of Smother, and the transitional Two Dancers.

I don't think that it's entirely a bad thing to be called that, especially when it's Wild Beasts we're talking about, and besides, I'll probably end up eating my words based on the description of the album.

I can say the album is definitely all them. One adjective I'd give it right now is serpentine. One song is all building stark electronic threat, immediately followed by another that's gentle vocal/piano balladry at core.

Another excellent new song.

http://youtu.be/yBe89Z7cqcw

Less than two weeks until the album now. Very excited here.

Holy crap, the new one is utterly GORGEOUS, almost brought me to tears. It sounds so CLEAN without being too clinical, it carries an emotional punch.

This band, man... Gonna revisit their previous albums in preparation for the new one!

Out the same day as The Notwist's new one. Will be buying both day of release, a rarity for me these days.

Listening to the album for the second time. It doesn't sound as distinct as their first three albums (though that may change on future listens obv) but their sound remains beautiful all the same. "Palace", the closer, is a standout track.

Just giving this a listen for the first time now. I remember being slightly disappointed with Two Dancers and Smother the first few times I played them but grew to love them fairly quickly. I fell instantly in love with Limbo Panto (still my favourite) but they know how to make growers.

Oh, I'm not disappointed at all. This seems like their best album lyrically. This is a cliché but I love the contrast between the lyric's anger and the music's beauty. Maybe it's always been there but it seems so stark and present this go-round.

Haven't really paid much attention to the lyrics but only listened to it once. The production as always is outstanding but some of it didn't really make that much impression on me. The middle of the album seemed to drag a little. The last couple of songs were the highlights.

Slight disappointment so far but I'm sure I'll be on here after my third play saying how perfect it is. St. Vincent's album was way more instant for me and is at the moment the one to beat.

After a few listens, the only weak track is "Pregnant Pause".

Daughters and Nature Boy are the only two that aren't clicking with me so far (after about five listens) Think I prefer the second half overall.

They did the latest FACT mix, which includes a Leonard Cohen cover: http://www.factmag.com/2014/02/24/fact-mix-427-wild-beasts/

Was going to give them a miss on this tour but it looks like they're being supported by These New Puritans on their Brighton date, so fuck yes I'm there.

Off 1.5 listens this is gorgeous & subtle & beautifully constructed kraut-romantic-electro-indie-pop, BUT it continues on almost exactly were Smother left off, to my ears; I'm hearing no great leaps in quality or paradigm shifts in approach. Which is absolutely fine, but that's the narrative that some are spinning. Which makes me think about the archetype-listening thing we were discussing the other day in regard to Aphex Twin. What do the press (and fans) want Wild Beasts to be? What do Wild Beasts want to be?

Smother (and Two Dancers) were massive slow-burn growers for me, so I'm happy to give this months to seep into my cerebellum.

My copy arrived last week so I’ve had the luxury of listening to it once a day since Thursday. I think it’s fantastic and it’ll surely be one of my most listened to albums throughout 2014.

I can understand someone feeling that it just picks up where ‘Smother’ finished but I don’t agree personally. Sure, they’ve developed a production aesthetic that seems to have been relatively consistent since Two Dancers and the drum sounds that were so important on the last album are almost identical on ‘Present Tense’. It might be those drums, which so often in isolation begin Wild Beasts songs, that contribute most to people feeling their stuff is a little samey. There’s a lot less guitars on the new one. In fact, I think it’s maybe not until the 3rd song that any guitars appear. The new one is definitely their most overtly electronic and, in time, I think that’s what will distinguish it from their past work. I recall reading something in an interview recently (which I can’t locate) where they suggested having a real reluctance to falling into a “sounds like Talk Talk/Blue Nile/Kate Bush” trap and becoming the critical darlings of aging Mojo readers. It’ll be interesting to see if ‘Present Tense’ has that type of impact and does propel them to new levels of acclaim as for me, initially anyway, it seems to contain some of their most and least accessible music.

Personally I’m happy with Wild Beasts sounding the way they do. Heck, I’d welcome ‘Smother Part 2’ but I’m not sure that’s what we’ve got here. Perhaps the (slight) change in direction was more perceptible between ‘Two Dancers’ and ‘Smother’ than the evolution shown on the new one.

They seem like a pretty reflective and articulate band and I’d be surprised if they don’t talk about this kind of stuff in interviews.

i think in one interview they said this sounded most like their debut..!

Bands seldom know what they actually sound like, ime.

I wish this sounded like their debut. As brilliant as Smother and Two Dancers Limbo is an a different league. It's such a unique album and just so much fun. I feel like they're taking themselves too seriously these days. I've played Past Tense ten times in the last week and some of the songs are just not sticking at all. As I mentioned on here already I was disappointed with Dancers and Smother when they came out but grew to love them very quickly. Hope it happens with the new one but at the moment it's easily their weakest for me. The synths sound a bit forced in places and it feels like adding more synths is the only thing they've really changed to their sound. Reading those interviews before the album came out I was expecting much more of a change in direction.

Yeah, I was too. I was expecting energised, not enervated. (Enervated is fine; I like a lot of soporific music.)

Surprised to see this has been their best reviewed album so far.

http://www.metacritic.com/person/wild-beasts