The Maccabees - Given to the Wild

2012 release, the third album from the Britpopsters. The five piece from London spent two years writing and recording this follow-up to 2009's critically-lauded Wall of Arms. Having previously written as a collective, Given to the Wild saw the band explore a new approach to songwriting. Avoiding the studio, each member retreated to their South London homes to develop ideas individually. From here the songs evolved into the 13 tracks that would make up Given to the Wild, an epic and beguiling masterpiece of distorted pop, Psychedelia and soulful guitar wig outs. It is the band's most adventurous work to date. Taking sonic inspiration from a disparate collection of musical peers such as the Stone Roses, Kate Bush, Talk Talk and David Bowie, Given to the Wild finds the band exploring new territory. Television and Thin Lizzy-inspired guitar hooks pop out of washed-out soundscapes where programmed loops and phrases are blended against the band backdrop and where they write their most complete pop music yet.