Concert Review: Wild Beasts
By Christopher Robinson
Feb. 11, 2010 1:32 p.m.
On their first ever tour on this side of the Atlantic, Wild Beasts commanded the stage like veterans, filling the small Troubadour club with enormous sounds.
For a band that has decided to completely disregard every modern trend in the musical underground of England, Wild Beasts is somehow able to take strange musical sounds and turn them into something that sounds structured and natural. The band’s ability to make the abnormal seem normal is a testament to the musicians’ craftsmanship as artists, and more than a few critics have responded positively.
The band is touring to promote their newest album, “Two Dancers,” which is an art-rock breakthrough that dispelled any notion of a sophomore slump following their critically applauded first album, “Limbo Panto.” “Two Dancers” walked the fine line between accessible pop and potentially annoying art-rock indulgences. The album’s blend of art-pop, jazz, and British post-punk experimentalism earned it the No. 22 spot on Pitchfork’s list of the best albums of 2009, as well as the No. 41 place on NME’s list of the best albums of the last decade.
“Two Dancers,” like Wild Beasts’ live performance, is a showcase for the juxtaposition between frontman Hayden Thorpe’s theatrical falsetto and bassist Tom Fleming’s warm, smooth baritone. The two vocal styles contrasted perfectly, creating hot-versus-cold aural sensation that can only be likened to the sensation of topping warm brownies with frozen ice cream. The two provided the perfect yin-yang complement to each other, highlighting the positive qualities of both styles through their sharp textural and timbrel contrasts.
For new listeners, Thorpe’s countertenor voice may be an acquired taste much like that of Antony Hegarty of Antony and the Johnsons fame or Jónsi Birgisson of Sigur Rós. The first time you hear Thorpe sing on a Wild Beasts record, it can be shocking, but the shock factor wears off over time and you find yourself appreciating its uniqueness and its eccentricities. The first time you hear him sing in concert, however, is a completely out-of-this-world experience. His voice is crisp like vodka, slicing through the arpeggiated guitar melodies and gentle bass lines like a knife through warm butter.
The rest of the band played impressively nuanced and gentle music, as sweet countermelodies float in and out of songs such as “Two Dancers” and “This Is Our Lot,” while a propulsive rhythm section drives more danceable numbers like “The Fun Powder Plot” and “We Still Got the Taste Dancin’ on Our Tongues.”
The highlight of the night, however, was “Hooting & Howling,” the first single that was drawn from “Two Dancers” last year. Featuring gorgeous piano and a positively sexy duel between the bass line and jagged guitar melody, the song is an exercise in tension and release, providing something like musical foreplay that never gives you what you want, but succeeds in leaving the listener always wanting more. It’s a song that marked them as exceptionally talented artists, leaving us with the sneaking suspicion that we haven’t heard the last of what Wild Beasts has to offer.
Despite a few moments of self-indulgence and a rather small catalog to draw from, Wild Beasts has proven itself to be one of the most vital and exciting new acts to have recently come out of England. Expectations for this band’s bright future are about as high as Thorpe’s falsetto can reach.
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