Smother (album)

Smother
Studio album by Wild Beasts
Released 9 May 2011 (2011-05-09)
Recorded 2010 in Snowdonia, North Wales [1]
Genre Indie rock, dream pop, electronica
Length 42:02
Label Domino
Producer Richard Formby, Wild Beasts
Wild Beasts chronology
Two Dancers
(2009)		 Smother
(2011)		 Present Tense
(2014)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic [2]
Clash(9/10) [3]
Drowned in Sound(9/10) [4]
The Guardian [5]
The Independent [6]
MusicOMH [7]
NME(9/10) [8]
Pitchfork Media(8.2/10) [9]
Q[10]
Spin(7/10) [11]

Smother is the third studio album by British indie rock/dream pop band Wild Beasts released on 9 May 2011 by Domino Records. It reached #17 in the UK Albums Chart.[12] According to the band, it represents a more synthesiser-based sound than previous efforts, influenced by "moving to Dalston", Brazilian writer Clarice Lispector, minimalist composer Steve Reich, noise pop duo Fuck Buttons,[13] and Mary Shelley's book, Frankenstein.[14]

Background

The band moved to London to make the record and that, according to Hayden Thorpe, drew them "back to the Lake District, the soundscape of that place." "Smother refers to the pillow we were resting our heads - the album really was the place where our heads, thoughts and dreams were at the time... The duality of the word 'smother' is important to us as well - that mad human dynamic of doing the right things for all the wrong reasons or doing the wrong things for all the right reasons", the singer said.[10]

Reception

Reviewing the album for BBC Music, Mike Diver wrote, "[Wild Beasts] are, right now, the most inspirational, intriguing, effortlessly enrapturing band at work [in Britain]. And Smother might well prove to be the album of 2011."[15] Jon Pareles of The New York Times said, "In songs suffused with need and vulnerability, the music leaves itself open, waiting to be approached."[16]

Uncut placed the album at number 8 on its list of "Top 50 albums of 2011".[17] while Mojo placed the album at number 10.[18]

Track listing

  1. "Lion's Share" – 4:14
  2. "Bed of Nails" – 4:18
  3. "Deeper" – 3:01
  4. "Loop the Loop" – 4:06
  5. "Plaything" – 4:21
  6. "Invisible" – 2:58
  7. "Albatross" – 3:12
  8. "Reach a Bit Further" – 3:36
  9. "Burning" – 4:44
  10. "End Come Too Soon" – 7:32

Personnel

References

  1. ↑ Wild Beasts to release new album 'Smother' in May | News | NME.COM
  2. ↑ Allmusic review
  3. ↑ Clash review
  4. ↑ Drowned in Sound review
  5. ↑ The Guardian review
  6. ↑ The Independent review
  7. ↑ MusicOMH review
  8. ↑ NME review
  9. ↑ Pitchfork review
  10. 1 2 Segal, Victoria. Q magazine. June 2011. New Albums review/Making th album. Wild Beasts. Smother. p.112-113.
  11. ↑ Spin review
  12. ↑ UK Albums Chart. Smother. Wild Beasts.
  13. ↑ Wild Beasts on Finishing Their Third Album | Because Magazine
  14. ↑ Wild Beasts looking to 'Frankenstein' as inspiration for new album | News | NME.COM
  15. ↑ BBC - Music - Review of Wild Beasts - Smother
  16. ↑ Pareles, Jon; Chinen, Nate (9 May 2011). "New CDs From Antlers, Wild Beasts and Okkervil River". The New York Times.
  17. ↑ Uncut's Top 50 of 2011 - Stereogum
  18. ↑ "MOJO's Top 50 Albums Of 2011". Stereogum. December 2, 2011. Retrieved December 16, 2011.
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