A wild jump in the right direction | Album Review

by Joachim Treasurer

Rating: ★★★★✰

A third album can either elevate a band above their peers or has the danger of making their peers realise they’ve used up all their potential.

The former definitely relates to The Maccabees third effort Given To The Wild.

Much has been expected of The Maccabees since their debut, Colour It In captured the hearts and souls of thousands back in 2007.

While their second effort, Wall Of Arms was an apt and capable second album, it was always felt they could have pushed themselves a little further.

Given To The Wild is a far more ambitious and creative album than its predecessors and not only looks to establish The Maccabees as one of the biggest bands in the country, but could also see them make that ever important step of crossing the trans-Atlantic divide that many bands have failed to achieve.

Although the atmospheric intro to Given To The Wild could be seen as pointless, it is actually a real statement of intent by the band.

They claim this album is meant as a soundscape album and that is exactly what the intro connotes. 

Child is the perfect following track to this opening and shows how far The Maccabees have come as a band.

With soaring trumpets and effect-layered vocal recording, it sets the standard and style for the rest of the album.

On Forever I’ve Known, one of the real highlights of the album, Orlando Weeks really seems to have grown as a lyricist.

The sense of nostalgia is still ever present but there is a far greater subtlety than before when Weeks sings, “forever I’ve known, nothing stays forever,” a daunting realisation that all relationships come to an end. 

Although this is an album of many more layers than the previous two – who would have thought The Maccabees would produce an album where more than half the songs either have piano or synth in them – they have still not lost the raucous over-tones that worked so well on Colour It In and Wall of Arms.

There is not a song that highlights this more than Pelican, a song that would have fitted perfectly on the last album but with The Maccabees’ new found boldness is turned into a much more epic and bigger affair.

With Given To The Wild, The Maccabees have not only realised the potential that everyone knew they had, but have also created the first classic album of 2012.

Whether any better albums follow, the one thing that is apparent is that 2012 is the year of The Maccabees.