Taming the Beast

Two Dancers
Wild Beasts
2009
3.5 stars

From the first sustained, synthesised note of Two Dancers, it's made clear that this British four-piece have taken a giant leap forward from their 2008 debut. A giant leap musically, definitely, but perhaps also a giant leap in their attitude toward what they do. Limbo, Panto was a good album, and showcased four talented musicians, but rested more heavily on the shock value of Hayden Thorpe's trans-gender-cabaret vocals than the actual quality of its songs. Two Dancers is different — Thorpe's vocals are still jarring in their warbling high-register, but second-teir singer Tom Flemming's gruff Interpol-esque voice takes more of a front-of-house role, and the taut, angular guitar lines of old have grown into epic, melancholy — almost loungy at times — swooning soundscapes, worthy of Coldplay or Doves. This Is Our Lot is the clear standout on this album; a big-hearted pop anthem full of acoustic swells and interesting time-signatures — a guaranteed hit. All of this shows that this is a band willing to outgrow their indie roots, something which will hold them in good stead for the inevitable turning of the tide of trends. Once Thorpe finds a cage to fit his fierce falsetto, these guys will be a band appreciated by those well away from the musical fringes.

Published in mX, Thursday September 17, 2009.

Pre-Something

Post-Nothing
Japandroids
Polyvinyl, 2009
4.5 stars

It might not sound like it, but this record, with its loud, full sound, is in fact the work of just two guys. They’re not the first ‘band’ to feature a two-person guitar/drums line-up; the White Stripes proved the formula at the start of the decade, and recently No Age have followed the trend, albeit with a decidedly less-polished approach. But Japandroids (a terrible band name, it must be said) still manage to wring their own unique sound from a minimalist setup often seen as a bit of a novelty. Post-Nothing is eight tracks of testosterone-fueled angst-pop, all crashing drums and angular, noisy guitars. These guys aren’t so much singing from the heart as somewhere just south of the belt buckle – most of the lyrics revolve around girls and getting pissed, the album’s catchiest moment the repeated chant “... must get to France so we can French-kiss some French girls” in the second-half of Wet Hair. But despite the cleverly-constructed don’t-give-a-shit veneer their lyrics and band name suggest, and under the layers of distortion and frat-boy chanting, these guys are a genuinely clever pop outfit, and Post-Nothing is as catchy as anything released in 2009.

Published in mX, Thursday September 3, 2009.