Notes on Given To The Wild by The Maccabees

Happy 100th post!!!!!! woooo!!!! I'm pretty sure half of my posts are crappy reviews/random rants/fillers but anyway I'm not here for the whoopdy do or for partying, I'm here to review the first good album of the year that was released Monday, October 9th; Given To The Wild by The Maccabees.
Let me just say if you haven't heard Toothpaste Kisses by them then you wouldn't know about The Maccabees Really. Seriously before listening to this album at least get a feel of that album "Colour It In" and if at all possible the next album in the list "Wall of Arms". The Maccabees are an indie rock band from London, they have five members in the band and two of them sing the most noted person in the band is Orlando Weeks the singer/guitarist. These members did a random bible flipping to get they're name kinda like how some bands make up the name with flipping dictionaries, the ironic part of that though is none of the band is religious and The Maccabees in the bible were a troop of Jewish soldiers who seized the city of Judea who were currently controlled by someone connected by Alexander the Great. Anyway this album is they're third studio album and they timed it just right for the release.


Track review(yes i was too lazy to type the tracks so i copied the tracklist from here i apologize for the caps locks):
1. GIVEN TO THE WILD: The first track is already very calming short and a good intro to the mood of the album because this song essentially describes the whole album and it has a good flow right into the next song.
2. CHILD: this song is just as chill as the intro and it has more elements in it though the drums and bass really stand out by themselves but when the trumpet gets in that really blows up the song. in a few words this song feels very calm, chill, relaxing and reflective
3. FEEL TO FOLLOW: this song is a little less chill and cool as Child and its very tame. it has fast guitars at one point and it even starts to slow down and then when you think its over it gets grander and expands and grows louder. its a song you truly need to listen to all the way to appreciate.
4. AYLA: the twinkling hints at something, it makes you feel an atmosphere of anticipation and makes you feel like waiting for the nExt great thing. the song is very low key it grabs you from where you least expect it.
5. GLIMMER: it is just like all the song like before its still slow calm and it has that mood of sadness peaked with an little bit of hope for the future and yet it still has this calming effect on you.
6. FOREVER I'VE KNOWN: The Guitar on the reverb and almost frightening effect really  pulls you out of that relaxed state of before and it gives you chills. once the drum enters the song the song gets upbeat but still calm.
7. HEAVE: given a nice stage call from the song before it smoothly weaves its way into a lighter world above the clouds and closer to the stars. it eventually hits a climax at 2:27 and then it all goes down from there but on its way up to that part it captivates you.
8. PELICAN: you know the song is gonna be good if you hear a quickness in guitar at the very start of the song. The drums helping emphasize the 2nd guitar. the singing is a lot more emphasized and a lot happier. This is one of the best songs on this album.
9. WENT AWAY: right after the really upbeat pelican this song brings you into another "in the clouds" moment and its a great song to listen to especially after pelican because it calms you back down yet still stays upbeat a really great song and like pelican one of the best songs from the album
10. GO: bass drum. that sound is dominant on the song, then there's the bass that keeps going up and down the fretboard. the guitar solo is also something really notable and it really increases the broadness of the album.
11. UNKNOW: this song is really slow to begin until the bass breaks the silence but the vocals start to dampen the room with frost it truly is a softer and colder track on the album. adding female vocals to the mix and you get an emphasis on the damp atmosphere.
12. SLOWLY ONE: This is a very crucial point in an album its the part where either you skip a few songs to hear the last few songs or skip the whole end of the album all together and this song is just another reason you want to slowly stop listening and change the song because it isn't upbeat enough for a listen all the way through.
13. GREW UP AT MIDNIGHT: yeah after go the album starts to go down the hill and it stops getting interesting this song essentially wraps up the album.


Verdict: This album has its ups and downs and its very moody and damp. It is stuck in one mood and it hardly gets "happy" because the reverb the vocals and the short sounds make this album feel sadder or at least less active. The overall feeling is relatively cool and chill.

RATING: ♪♪♪/♪♪♪♪