Two Dancers

Wild Beasts | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 8, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Domino
• ASIN: B002H3ETN2
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #71,593 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Equally eloquent and ugly..., September 8, 2009

By 

Kevin Satterwhite (Houston, TX United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Two Dancers (Audio CD)

Wild Beasts will turn many heads. It will not be a surprise if some of those heads turn away. Their lead singers' styles of vocals are a bit unorthodox. They are particularly hard to describe. It's like a mix of Thom Yorke and Curt Smith (of Tears For Fears) at their most distraught. However, those that walk away from this band without giving them a fair chance will be surely missing out on what is essentially one of the best albums of the year.

One thing that will surely draw people in will be the stellar production of "Two Dancers". The organ pad on "The Fun Power Plot" starts off like a tractor beam sucking you in until the muted guitars and hypnotic drums break you out of trance. It's awesome. On my first listen, I was taken aback by Hayden Thorpe's 'all-over-the-wall' vocal style. On "Hooting and Howling," Hayden Thorpe's vocals aren't as hard to swallow. This is the first single from the album and it's a great choice. Hayden shows off this voice, which, while weird is equally amazing (like a quote from this song: "equally eloquent and ugly"). The product is, like "The Fun Power Plot" absolutely stellar.

There are a plethora of songs on here that are just amazingly written. My absolute favorite of the album is "Two Dancer (I)". This song features vocals from the other singer Tom Fleming, who does his best Tears For Fears' Curt Smith impersonation. The sonic guitars and pounding drums of the chorus of this song are the single best moment of the album and I am going out on a limb and place this song high in the top 10 best of the year. "Two Dancers (II)" offers more vocals from Fleming and more incredible production. This is a very gorgeous track. "Empty Nest" could be described the same way but it is more upbeat. There are a ton of U2 "War" era sonic guitars and pounding drums; trust me it all works.

Overall, I find this album to be a smashing success. This is some of the best production I've heard all year. This year has been all about the electronic artists stirring waves(Animal Collective, Fever Ray, Bat For Lashes, Miike Snow, etc). So, this indie rock album is a very welcoming addition to this years best releases. It doesn't take long, if at all, to get used to the vocal styles of this band. And I do attest them to be a welcoming fresh breath.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entrancing, Cohesive Work, December 20, 2010

By 

M. Welch (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Two Dancers (Audio CD)

I purchased a used copy based on this recording's Mercury Prize nomination. Last night, I listened to this entire album three times in succession. This recording is relatively short, yet equally dense in its complexity. The production is top notch, the songwriting stellar, and the performances perfectly rendered.

With 'Two Dancers' Wild Beasts provide a musical journey that invites the listener to absorb it in whole, rather than break it apart into individual tracks. Coupled with a very tight rhythm section, the lead guitar work is interesting throughout. The vocals are the standout on this recording. With stream of conscious lyrics and enormous range and emotional complexity, it is perhaps the top vocal recordings in the rock genre this year.

I highly recommend this work!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Maturing nicely...., April 9, 2010

By 

L. Abate - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Two Dancers (Audio CD)

The first song I heard by Wild Beasts was Devil's Crayon off their Limbo, Panto release. It must have been their first single because our local radio station (WERS 88.9) here in Boston gave it quite the rotation. I enjoyed it so much that I picked up their album. It wasn't bad, but as a whole, didn't equal the quality of the few tracks (Devil's Crayon/Vigil For A Fuddy Duddy) I purchased it for.

When I heard All the Kings Men, off their Two Dancers album, my interested was renewed. I sampled the songs on Lala and decided I would give the Beasts another go around. Overall, very happy with my purchase. It sounds like these guys are definitely maturing and the overall quality has gone up tremendously. Some of my favorites...

Very good:
- The Fun Powder Plot
- Hooting & Howling
- The Empty Nest

Excellent:
- All the Kings Men
- Two Dancers
- Two Dancers II
- This is Our Lot

Highly recommend picking this album up if you are a fan of good indie rock...It is worth every penny. Also worth noting that the production qualities are top notch, throw on a pair of good headphones and you will smile.