By Sujin Thomas

ON WILD Beasts' debut 2008 album Limbo, Panto, frontman Hayden Thorpe unleashed his untamed, high-pitched melodramatic shrieks on the unwary listener.

Many found Thorpe's renderings too abstract or campy but critics embraced the Beasts. The general view was that the Leeds-based band meant to befuddle and bewitch with its heady mix of theatrical vocals and glitzy funk tracks.

On Two Dancers, which comes a mere year after the release of Limbo, Panto, Wild Beasts introduce their audience to their version of the midrange as bassist Tom Fleming takes on vocal duties in four out of the 10 songs. It brings a balance to the Beasts' trademark funked-up drum-and-chiming guitar hypnosis.

They also reveal a more polished sound with their hallmark tongue-in-cheek lyrics, the stream of- consciousness musings of a horny, reckless youth desperately searching for meaning in life.

On The Fun Powder Plot, an opus of stripped-down indie rock, Thorpe's strained vocals bear down on these lines: "This is a booty call... my boot ... my boot ... up your ****hole."

And first single Hooting & Howling is a wordy ode to growing up in Kendal, England - where these lads come from - coupled with an appealing up-tempo pacing.

Yes, it seems Wild Beasts are coming of age but mass appeal still looks distant. Perhaps they are better reserved for the enjoyment of a select niche who can get their heads around their beat-and-vocal combos in order to fully appreciate them.

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