Round-up Tracks: Wild Beasts, Rat Boy & More

The ‘Boy King’ transformation of Wild Beasts is a modern day Beauty & The Beast tale. From well-groomed romantics to sweaty, snarling lotharios, lead single ‘Get My Bang’ kicked back at the softer side of of last album ‘Present Tense’ with a wilful embracing of all the Kendall group’s most carnal pleasures.

‘Big Cat’ takes that mantra up a notch. In contrast to ‘Present Tense’, it’s positively bonkers. All slick and slippery like sweat off a back, there’s a futuristic, synthy slant to Wild Beasts’ latest guise. “You can look, but don’t touch,” teases frontman Hayden Thorpe, pushing further into their more otherworldly tendencies.

It’s not all filth, though. Wild Beasts are masters of combining the upbeat with the down-and-dirty, and there’s no better evidence than this. ”I’ll be your big cat,” Hayden purrs, “are you okay with that?” As it ends with a chirpy, brief guitar solo, it’s that knowing, arms-length smirk to everything that defines ‘Boy King’ and ‘Big Cat’ in particular - it’s every bit as playful as the mogs it’s named after. (Tom Connick)

Since his first pitter-pattering steps at the beginning of last year, Rat Boy’s been defined by chaos. A veritable Dennis The Menace, his troublemaking tendencies have led the way. ’Get Over It’, though, marks something of a heel-turn - he’s put down the silly-string, the skateboard and and the books of matches, and opted for a daiquiri and a Hawaiian shirt instead.

Skipping along atop a skittering hip-hop beat, there’s an upbeat edge to ‘Get Over It’ that Rat Boy’s never shown before. He’s hardly a down in the dumps singy-songwriter, but there’s been a bratty, teenage angst edge to his actions thus far. Now, though, he’s all beaming grins and parping horns. It’s a carnival number at heart, proving that even when he’s chilling, Rat Boy’s output is packed full of sherbet energy.

He might be “sick of comparisons”, but it’s not getting to him any more - instead Rat Boy’s basking in the glory of his rocket-powered success story. With a ridiculously massive UK tour approaching, he’s riding that wave of hype all the way to the beach party. (Tom Connick)

On paper, this looks like an extremely strange collaboration. Ryan Hemsworth creates lush, hip-hop-leaning beats, Mitski excels at crushing, anthemic indie-rock, while Keaton Henson pens heartbreak over folk rhythms.

‘Wait’ is surprisingly cohesive, though, with Mitski and Henson’s vocals intertwining seamlessly. Henson’s vocals are brought out of the gloom they never emerge from on his solo work, and become almost hopeful once Hemsworth’s beats are laid on top. Mitski brings the song’s heartbreak, leaving that job away from Henson for once, with certain lyrics poking their head above all-encompassing vocal reverb.

‘Wait’ presents a new side to two of the most fascinating modern voices, while showing Hemsworth as capable of moulding any mis-match of collaborators and genres into something fantastic. (Will Richards)

As fire-breathing introductions go, they don’t come quite as red hot as Pixies’ welcome letter from new bassist Paz Lenchantin. ‘Um Chagga Lagga’ is as nonsensical as that title - a rickety, rollicking, smoke-spitting machine, spewing its wares across a scorched desert.

It finds the new form Pixies impossibly tight from the get-go, the one-two of Paz and Dave Lovering’s rhythm section clattering along at breakneck pace, never stumbling or stuttering. Atop it all, Pixies sound fuller than ever before, a roaring wildfire of careering riff after riff.

“I just keep on walkin’,” screams Frank Black, “It’s starting to hit me - they’re coming to get me!” Taking everyday paranoia and turning on it with a flamethrower, it’s a gripping return from one of the best to ever tread the stages, and a whisky-soaked touch-paper on their next incarnation. (Tom Connick)

Future Islands’ breakout album ‘Singles’ gave frontman Samuel T Herring the tag of being vicious and cutting. His trademark roar gives way on ‘Ghost In A Kiss’, his collaboration with producer Clams Casino, instead taking things down a significantly darker route.

Michael Volpe’s beats give Herring’s words a twisted, creeping platform. Herring cuts the figure of a superhuman being, just in the opposite way to how he made his name.

‘Ghost In A Kiss’ shows both Clams Casino and Samuel T Herring off superbly, and they work better as a team than could’ve been imagined. (Will Richards)

Tags: Rat Boy, Wild Beasts, Listen, Features