wild beasts

As the late night radio favourite, full-bodied single ‘Devils Crayon’ jostles in an early position and settles the group into their groove. Tom leans into his phrases giving their notes a vast deference. Meanwhile, the snatches of toms and cowbells are pronounced enough to create a buoyant rhythm section. ‘Through Dark Knight’ is played as if it’s the band’s re-imagining of the 1950s, complete with gestured interplay by its leading gents. Singer Hayden (“I’ll quiver the jellies of every heavy”) certainly could shriek in such a way that even those with the biggest ‘jellies’ would make a run for it or sink down, melted in a pool of affection. Whilst the vocal dexterities take centre stage, the guitars, drums and bass are doing more than a fair share too; they evolve into perfect shimmering backgrounds for the otherwise untamed tenor and falsetto. As the intermittent waltz of ‘Woebegone Wanderers’ forms its eccentric terrace chant, Hayden’s pronunciations and elaborated melismas provide the audience with a time travel towards Henry the VIII’s court, codpiece references included. Intertwining in perfection on closer ‘Cheerio Chaps’, its safe to say there’s none so ball clenching as these boys. But more importantly there’s none with Kahunas such as theirs to pull off this masterful noise.