Wild Beasts Return with <i>Smother</i>

BY Gregory AdamsPublished Feb 22, 2011

English art rockers Wild Beasts' first album, 2008's Limbo Panto, kind of flew under the radar, but its follow-up, 2009's Two Dancers, made a bit bigger of a splash. We're not talking multimillion seller, or anything, but the mix of dance beats, melancholic melodies and Hayden Thorpe's elegant operatic pipes helped score the band a nom for the prestigious Mercury Prize and much acclaim.

It's too early to tell, but all signs point to the group's newly announced third album, Smother, stirring things up again. Written over an intense six-week period in London and recorded out in Wales, the album is said to be built upon a foundation of "intense atmosphere, space and beguiling rhythm," according to the press release.

A short trailer for the album, which features a slow-motion shot of some feathers falling around a small garden, teases the kinds of bold and romantic beats the band apparently have in store for listeners this time around. You can watch it in the video at the bottom of the page.

Smother will be released May 10 by Domino. Check out the tracklisting below.

Smother:

1. "Lion's Share"
2. "Bed of Nails"
3. "Deeper"
4. "Loop the Loop"
5. "Plaything"
6. "Invisible"
7. "Albatross"
8. "Reach A Bit Further"
9. "Burning"
10. "End Come Too Soon"

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