8/10

Following their well-received 2014 album 'Present Tense', an album widely regarded as their best to date, Wild Beasts return with their fifth studio album 'Boy King'. And while this record does share some similarities with their older work, it is clear from the off that this band are looking to make a lot more noise with this release.

During the build up to this full-length, we were treated to four singles from this eleven track album, and what stood out most about them was their focus on a more electronic sound. The band had always dabbled in an electro influence but its presence on this new material is prevalent. Giving it an almost 80s-inspired Moog-loving sound, 'Boy King' seems to want to push the boundaries of a contemporary rock outfit and show that instrumentation needn't define the genre of the group.

The result is a cohesive mix of focused rhythms and a broad style that flows through each and every track. The album is so well written, it shows that even bands well into their career can still make challenging choices to their core style and come out with something fresh and impressive in equal measure.