Release Date: May 10, 2011
Wild Beasts wield an unequaled and paramount authority on zen moods in that theymeld a dynamic electric sound with unwavering vocals. It’s no surprise that their third album in three years, Smother, floats in the clouds and boasts a solid collection of dreamy pop tunes. Hayden Thorpe and Tom Fleming team up vocally on the album and glue the entire assemblage together behind a cavalcade of flowing guitars and beat-driven percussion.
The album opens with “Lion’s Share” which begins as a punchy piano piece, saving space and waiting for the rest of the troupe to chime in. Thorpe’s lyrical moments on the track are interesting enough, touting that he took the lion’s share, not because he could, but simply because it was there. The song builds subtly as though the lion (in this case, Thorpe) stands over his pride as the day begins. The rolling drumbeat in the background is synonymous to the sun coming up over the Serengeti. At just over four minutes, the track fades out almost as quickly as it came in.
“Burning” is one of many eccentric piano and drum tunes on the album that has a meditative quality to it. The subtle guitar and bass in the background sprinkle around the song like rain. As each note falls, the mind wanders off to the deep, blanketed woods where moss covered tree trunks and rain soaked branches are the majority and human life is simple and alone. “Deeper” is succinct, putting Fleming and drummer, Chris Talbot front and center. Both songs manage a qualitative rhythm that is standard throughout the record.
Fleming and Thorpe trade off lyrical duties across the different tracks, but one thing is systematic from start to finish: this is an album whirled into methodical and ceaseless motion from one song to the next.
“Loop the Loop” is playful and caring where Thorpe is reflexive about regret, remembering and forgetting. In the same breath, “Plaything” shows Thorpe singing in front of tom drums and a simple bass line. His vocals are reminiscent of post-Ziggy Stardust Bowie: Chanting and melodic all in one. With this record being slow in many respects, “Plaything” stands out as a slight change of pace and the best song on the record.
The album closes with “End Come Too Soon” and just as the name suggests, it all falls off and one is left to wonder, “What next?” Smother uncovers a work of musical art so tenuous and unassuming that it may be brushed away by those listeners without a sense of understanding the message herein. Though most tracks aren’t jump-out-of-your-seat exciting, Thorpe and crew manage a recording made for rainy days or periods of reflection. With a wide range of dreamy material and pop beats, Smother is compiled as a solid collection worthy of any playlist and it works well in morning yoga sessions, too.
