Photo: Joe Young
Mainly incorporating�cuts off the new album, Wild Beasts�start as they mean to go on with �Tough Guy�, a soulful number interspersed�with aggressive funk. The song concludes with crashing, classic rock guitar�work from Tom Fleming, complimenting the angelic nature of Hayden Thorpe�s�voice expertly.� �
Boy King is more abrasive than their past work, it�s�mature, angry and Thorpe, whilst still poetic, is at his most visceral. Wild�Beasts have spoken of their desire to be more id based, bringing their �inner�Byron� out. So much so that Thorpe suggested that he had "a minor breakdown in�knowing what part of myself I was revealing. It's a bit ugly, a bit grubby,�arrogant." Thorpe seems to have no qualms of revealing himself here, as he�asks for his bass guitar to be tuned up he quips, �so basically, more of me�.
The undisputed highlight�occurs midway through the set, with the debut of the best song from Boy King, �Celestial Creatures�, a�brooding, building masterpiece with a crashing, otherworldly chorus.
This is still pleasant,�characteristically Wild Beasts indie pop which the crowd laps up, but with a�definite edge. �
Wild Beasts finish with an ode�to the past, with the fantastic synth led song, �Wanderlust�. Thorpe croons,��don�t confuse me with someone who gives a f-ck�. This could be a nod to�their seeming cult status when compared to other acts that have been this�consistent for so long. However, hopefully Thorpe will take notice of the�acclaim for their fantastic album, Boy�King, from their fans and critics alike. �
The band is on good form�throughout, Fleming at one point humorously apologises for �trying to evolve a�Pokemon� mid-set. Similarly, Wild Beasts' music has evolved from the synth�wonderland of 2014�s Present Tense, into�a brutal, but very danceable, heated funk.
