Given To The Wild

January 13th, 2012

If there is one British band we can always rely on to deliver quirky and cool Indie Rock it’s The Maccabees, and, if there’s one band we can rely on to sound completely nothing but themselves it’s these guys too. Following a two year absence since the release of record-breaking Wall Of Arms, the South London band have been locked away writing and recording. Rhythm Circus first saw The Maccabees preview more than half the tracks from their latest release Given To The Wild last year headlining Leicester’s Summer Sundae festival, a brave move we though at the time, but it’s now clear why they were so confident in playing unheard material to a hyped-up clan of indie kids excited to hear all the classics.

Given To The Wild is a record of evolution. Wonderfully exceptional in the way it merges and creates soaring rockets of perfect opposites. An album that is so intricately produced it fills every little space, constructed sound-scapes of atmosphere, emotion and interlocked bursting sonics whilst restrained simultaneously to remain subtler, lead singer Orlando’s voice is gentle, fragile and dreamy in all the right places.

After a short intro piece filled with whirls of intensity, elusive echoes and unpredictability, Child opens in classic Maccabees charm; building up to a shimmering guitar line, melodic tones and fresh composition – it’s in this cavity we realise how much we’ve missed this bands creativity which is back and adapted bigger than ever. The sounds ripple and surround us in warmth and wooziness before a wave of hectic shimmer erupts into a bigger scope. Feel to follow unlocks with drums and pulse, glistening jazziness that’s slick, soulful and effortlessly cool. The allure of the familiar vocal is persistent and strong withholding vitality amidst fast pace frantic punches of guitar, bass and drums into oblivion just reminding us again, why these guys are still rightfully looked upon as one of the best guitar bands out there.

In full cinematic perception, the 53 minute entirety of the record can not only feel illustriously powerful, charged and fluid in creation, but also fizzy and nostalgic: a pallet of sounds, colours and evocative tendencies. In a structural and cinematic sense, this is the sort of record that holds just what is needed for us to create our own vision to accompany the tracks, in whatever way that may be, in listening in an entirety we can collage and create feelings of imagination that tie the strings together to retreat in to. Of course this is going far beyond just a few songs by a good guitar band, but digging deep and examining every little fragment, but with a gem like this it would be wasteful to overlook that such a special connection, if wanted can be made and you’d be fool not to get the most out Given to the wild.

The first single taken off the record Pelican is jaunty and bold in delivery. An obvious choice for a release, however with first listens of other album tracks it’s easy to see a focus has been given more on what is tangible in mindset which appears throughout lyrically. Glimmer is elaborately constructed and balmy in contrast to Forever I’ve known which has a more intense linger, darker in bass and delivering lyrics mirroring a feeling of directionless and loss perhaps when we learn that there are certain things that can only be momentary with the croons I want to see you, it’s not good enough to have you here in my head.

The opening vocal on Slowly One is stirring, unveiling of thawing fears and paradox seeping to the surface and the difficulty of human disconnection. The sincerity and melancholy of the opening words trickle in recalling recollections and transition. Its tracks like this particularly that reflect the more heartbreaking glimpses within the writing. This is what’s special about the record though: the contrast of opposites and puzzled with ‘80s influences in sound compositions collide with an unhidden sense of doubt and loss on track Go it’s not enough and it never was is wrapped in a rippling tone of haze. The darker side of the lyrics are a lot more touched upon than the former two records, of course hints were always there, but it is certainly a more lucid on this album. Inspiration appears to stem from despair and emotion.

Grew Up At Midnight ends the record soft and beguiling in sound, again wistful, tender and honest, sparkles of guitar which encompasses the vocal before exploding into obscurity and overwhelming clashes. Given To The Wild is very much a journey; beautifully magical, a fleet of rhythm and wisdom, a force that keeps the record constantly heightened and strung together concisely. For those who have followed this band since they first started out more than five years ago will undoubtedly feel a bit like a proud parent. The record is already proving a huge success despite only being its first official week of release.

Less infancy and more realism has emerged within the production of the third release, layering sounds and maturing as individuals and as musicians. It is easy to see the progression and difference from the early material in which there is a lot more quirk and cutesiness delivered in the indie pop bursts, Can You Give It and Toothpaste Kisses particularly are great tunes, bouncy, bittersweet and catchy but lack the profundity of this slightly.

The Maccabees have always been a band who work hard for what they, and the fact that they’re not the sort of band who have to throw around a controversial comment or two to get in NME each week, but why would they; nearly six years later they have grown, become more and more inspired in the most incredible kind of way: Their way.

Words > Lauren Bridgeman

Tags: Child, Given To The Wild, Glimmer, Go, Grew up at Midnight, Orlando Weeks, Pelican, Slowly One, Summer Sundae Festival, The maccabees, Wall Of Arms