The songs of Wild Beasts were always anchored by the vocals. And those vocals came from Hayden Thorpe. His abilities elevated fairly amorphous material (at times) into something sublime. That's what's going on again here on his second solo album, Moondust for My Diamond, out now via Domino.
While opener "Material World" suggests a fairly sedate record lies ahead, the gently propulsive "The Universe is Always Right" offers one of this album's best showcases for the talents of Thorpe. That one, and the nearly dance-able "Parallel Kingdom" are accessible but still Arty in the way Hayden and Wild Beasts always were. Fans of Japan, O.M.D., and China Crisis may find the textures familiar too, though Thorpe is too much of an iconoclast to get lost in his own influences. The melodies on Moondust for My Diamond don't always announce themselves as forcefully as I'd like, but the record's an enveloping listen, revealing that Thorpe is still one of the best vocalists active these days.
Moondust for My Diamond is out now via Domino.
More details on Hayden Thorpe via his official website.
[Photo: Jack Johnstone]