Wild Beasts - Single Review

Having first garnered critical acclaim with their second album release, 'Two Dancers', British art-pop band Wild Beasts have steadily leaked into mainstream conciousness over the past five years. Their latest album, 'Present Tense', is their best selling yet reaching number ten in the UK Album Chart. 'Mecca' is the second single from the new release and truly shows why Wild Beasts are ever growing in popularity.

'Mecca' kicks off with extended, spiritual sounding synth notes while, underneath, another synth chimes deeper, lonely notes, overall giving an otherworldly effect but at the same time delivering a sense of humanity that Wild Beasts have become particularly adept at conveying. As vocalist Hayden Thorpe croons the first half of the chorus in near silence, you gear yourself up for a sudden huge explosion of electronics. However, all that happens is a straightforward drum beat coupled with ethereal building synths, giving off a not unpleasant sense of unpredictability. Aside from the bridge, which veers off into a minimal, twinkly guitar solo, this really is all 'Mecca' is; the same synth tone, a steady drum beat and consistent vocals. Even so, it somehow feels like so much more, which is quite an achievement. It could be due to how these different elements are so wisely arranged; the power evenly distributed as opposed to just all working together to make the biggest sound possible.

The lyrics on 'Mecca' paint a picture of desperately wanting to feel a certain way again, though ultimately revealing that this feeling is always inside us - we just need to convince it to come out. It's a mature way of looking at human emotions, rather than exploring how our environment and relationships effect the way we feel.

'Mecca' impresses both on the sonic front and the lyrical. Musically, it makes a little seem a lot, and lyrically, it implants new ways of thinking into your head. But really, you're not going to get what it's all about by reading about it; give it a listen.

4/5

Max Cussons