Smother

Recorded in a remote part of Wales with co-producer Richard Formby, England’s Wild Beasts continue to evolve into a tuneful group less obsessed with sonic abrasions. The dark challenges of their early work continue to follow the flow of Two Dancers to create velvet backdrops that obscure the band’s devious side. Listen closely to “Lion’s Share” and you’ll hear a tale of deep, carnal love. “Bed of Nails” continues Hayden Thorpe’s obsessions with the pain and pleasure principles, while “Burning” grooves with an avant-garde pulse reminiscent of Nico or Suicide. “Loop the Loop,” “Plaything” and “Invisible” chart closer to the works of David Sylvian and latter-day Talk Talk for a take on stationary dance grooves. Rarely is love and sex sung about with such fervor. The seven-and-a half minute “End Come Too Soon” completes the album with a beautiful, weightless piece of travel pop, where you can feel yourself gliding down the highway towards a breathtaking sunset. Wild Beasts are proving to be an ensemble with room to evolve in any direction they desire.