Wild Beasts - Big Cat

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.