Wild Beasts' name comes from the 20th century French art movement Les Fauves (also the inspiration for Les Savy Fav), so maybe the French term "belle laide"-- a woman who is attractive but not conventionally beautiful-- best describes singer Hayden Thorpe's voice. Thorpe's voice howls and thrashes, other times it actually sings or simpers or sighs, but only when he stretches it to the ceiling does it come into its own. His voice feels close in temperament to Antony Hegarty or Baby Dee's, but its mix of pointed sexuality and ambiguous gender points back to Boy George or David Bowie.
Limbo, Panto is shocking, funny, and above all irrevocable. Expect this lot to be around for the long haul.
Wild Beasts, 4 of the Whitest, most effeminate men you could ever find singing about sex raunchy enough to make Prince blush:
Room a catacomb, this ghoul a balloon, with the breath
From beneath your breast, yes that is best
Hug it to me, and the rubber raspberries
With wantingly wet mouth I suck..remind me of your gentle fuck
Men to be men, must love and pity
So deeply and secretly
Flaccid, I asked for this
Below spit rich belly pit moan and blush with hot hormone
Wash it from me, this stuff ... read more
Sometimes it feels too much of "hayden showing off his operatic voice" but overall it's fun (and about sex ! Don't be prude for this album).
#29 | / | Drowned in Sound |