let me say a word about wild beasts, who have likely made my favorite album of the year.

they're good.

i haven't always thought so. they were receiving hype based on some early singles, including "brave bulging buoyant clairvoyants." you can hear the original version here, at last.fm; you can hear the album version here, at their myspace profile.

there isn't a huge difference, but it makes all the difference in the world to my ears. the latter version thumps instead of clangs; the vocal, taken up an octave or so, soars instead of scrapes. (hayden thorpe's vocals are, admittedly, an acquired taste, but he has improved. early on, listening to him was like the equivalent of the doctor taking a throat culture from you for three-minutes-plus.)

i think the best compliment i've been giving to bands of late is that they wouldn't sound out of place on the wanna buy a bridge? compilation.

further influences: early associates; a less tidy cocteau twins; late-period talking heads; meat is murder.

but, to paraphrase elvis, they don't sound like nobody. which is a hell of a thing in these times.

the album was v. quietly released domestically by domino last week. i think you should buy it.