Artiste: The Maccabees
Album: Given to the wild
Released: 2012
Label: Fiction
Producer: Tim Goldsworthy, Bruno Ellingham, Jag Jago
Brief intro: I knew nothing about this band until I took a chance on this album. It seemed to have received some hype, and usually albums of that nature tend to let me down, but this one was a real revelation, and I enjoyed it start to finish.
1. Given to the wild (intro)
Written by: The Maccabees
Length: 2:11
Style: Ambient, almost instrumental
Lyric: None really, more a chant
Rating: 5
Main melody: Keys
2. Child
Written by: The Maccabees
Length: 4:31
Style: Slow half-ballad
Lyric: Loss of childhood innocence? (I'm guessing here)
Rating: 7
Main melody: Keys and Guitar
3. Feel to follow
Written by: The Maccabees
Length: 3:29
Style: Mid-paced turning to fast rocker
Lyric: Not sure
Rating: 9
Main melody: Rock Guitar and Piano
4. Ayla
Written by: The Maccabees
Length: 3:47
Style: Fastish rocker
Lyric: Could be a love song. Hard to tell.
Rating: 8
Main melody: Synth and Guitar
5. Glimmer
Written by: The Maccabees
Length: 4:03
Style: Half-ballad
Lyric: Still no clue
Rating: 6
Main melody: Piano and Guitar
6. Forever I've known
Written by: The Maccabees
Length: 5:21
Style: Very U2 in style I'd say; slow to mid-paced, getting faster in the second half of the song
Lyric: Trying to repair a broken relationship?
Rating: 8
Main melody: Rock Guitar
7. Heave
Written by: The Maccabees
Length: 4:24
Style: Slow and atmospheric, almost folk in parts
Lyric: Um. dunno. Again.
Rating: 7
Main melody: Synth
8. Pelican
Written by: The Maccabees
Length: 3:44
Style: Rocky, almost rockabilly in ways...
Lyric: Maybe, the circle of life? Man, who knows?
Rating: 9
Main melody: Rock Guitar
9. Went away
Written by: The Maccabees
Length: 3:38
Style: Fast rocker
Lyric: No entender senor...
Rating: 7
Main melody: Keys and Rock Guitar
10. Go
Written by: The Maccabees
Length: 4:12
Style: Sort of anthemic really
Lyric: Um...
Rating: 7
Main melody: Synth and Guitar
11. Unknow
Written by: The Maccabees
Length: 5:07
Style: Fast rocker
Lyric: Well...
Rating: 5
Main melody: Bass and Synth
12. Slowly one
Written by: The Maccabees
Length: 4:17
Style: Ballad
Lyric: Way I see it is...
Rating: 6
Main melody: Synth and Guitar
13. Grew up at midnight
Written by: The Maccabees
Length: 4:00
Style: Slow and relaxed for half, then kicks in for the last part much faster.
Lyric: First love?
Rating: 8
Main melody: Guitar and Keys
Closing Comments:
For a band I'd never heard of before I'm really impressed with this album. As you can see from the track-by-track above, I have very little clue what any of the songs are about --- the lyrics are all pretty obscure but seem to deal with growing up, forming relationships and yadda yadda yadda --- but that in no way spoiled my enjoyment of the album. Definitely be seeking out more of their material.
Final rating: 8/10