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.[2] 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,[3] and Mary Shelley's book, Frankenstein.[4]
| Smother | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 9 May 2011 | |||
| Recorded | 2010 in Snowdonia, North Wales [1] | |||
| Genre | Indie rock, dream pop | |||
| Length | 42:02 | |||
| Label | Domino | |||
| Producer | Richard Formby, Wild Beasts | |||
| Wild Beasts chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background
editThe 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.[5]
Critical reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 8.2/10[6] |
| Metacritic | 85/100[7] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [8] |
| The A.V. Club | B+[9] |
| The Guardian |  [10] |
| The Independent | [11] |
| Mojo | [12] |
| NME | 9/10[13] |
| Pitchfork | 8.2/10[14] |
| Q | [5] |
| Spin | 7/10[15] |
| Uncut | [16] |
Smother received widespread acclaim from contemporary music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 85, based on 28 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim".[7]
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."[17] Jon Pareles of The New York Times said, "In songs suffused with need and vulnerability, the music leaves itself open, waiting to be approached."[18]
Uncut placed the album at number 8 on its list of "Top 50 albums of 2011".[19] while Mojo placed the album at number 10.[20]
As of January 2012 UK sales stand at 30,000 copies according to The Guardian.[21]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Total length: | 42:02 | |
Personnel
edit- Hayden Thorpe – lead vocals (1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10), backing vocals, guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, production
- Tom Fleming – lead vocals (1, 3, 6, 8, 9), backing vocals, keyboards, guitar, production
- Ben Little – lead guitar, keyboards, production
- Chris Talbot – drums, production
- Richard Formby – production, additional arrangements
- Lexxx – mixing
- Dave Pye – engineering
- Jason Evans – photography, art direction, design
- Matthew Cooper – design
References
edit- ^ Wild Beasts to release new album 'Smother' in May | News | NME.COM
- ^ UK Albums Chart. Smother. Wild Beasts.
- ^ Wild Beasts on Finishing Their Third Album | Because Magazine Archived 2011-07-07 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Wild Beasts looking to 'Frankenstein' as inspiration for new album | News | NME.COM
- ^ a b Segal, Victoria (June 2011). "Wild Beasts: Smother". Q (300): 112–13.
- ^ "Smother by Wild Beasts reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
- ^ a b "Reviews for Smother by Wild Beasts". Metacritic. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
- ^ Phares, Heather. "Smother – Wild Beasts". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
- ^ Wild, Matt (24 May 2011). "Wild Beasts: Smother". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
- ^ Simpson, Dave (5 May 2011). "Wild Beasts: Smother – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
- ^ Gill, Andy (6 May 2011). "Album: Wild Beasts, Smother (Domino)". The Independent. Archived from the original on 8 May 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
- ^ "Wild Beasts: Smother". Mojo (211): 92. June 2011.
- ^ Snapes, Laura (9 May 2011). "Album Review: Wild Beasts – 'Smother'". NME. Archived from the original on 24 March 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
- ^ Bevan, David (13 May 2011). "Wild Beasts: Smother". Pitchfork. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
- ^ Young, Jon (10 May 2011). "Wild Beasts, 'Smother' (Domino)". Spin. Archived from the original on 15 May 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
- ^ Pattison, Louis (June 2011). "Wild Beasts: Smother". Uncut (169): 90.
- ^ BBC - Music - Review of Wild Beasts - Smother
- ^ Pareles, Jon; Chinen, Nate (9 May 2011). "New CDs From Antlers, Wild Beasts and Okkervil River". The New York Times.
- ^ Uncut's Top 50 of 2011 - Stereogum
- ^ "MOJO's Top 50 Albums Of 2011". Stereogum. 2 December 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
- ^ "Indie rock's slow and painful death". TheGuardian.com. 16 January 2012.