The Maccabees To Release Third Full-Length 'Given To The Wild'

The Maccabees third album ‘Given To The Wild’ is set for release on April 24th via Fiction Records / Cooperative Music in North America after a culmination of two solid years of writing in the UK. Following ‘Wall of Arms’ – the bands critically-lauded second release – they began work on their follow-up by dismantling their most creative of songwriting units. For several months The Maccabees went their separate ways, individually sketching out the tracks that would make up their latest studio album. “We wanted everyone in the band to feel freedom while making this record,” says Felix White. “So individually we would work on ideas and bring them to the rest of the band.”

The fruits of this labour became the epic and beguiling ‘Given To The Wild’, a sprawling masterpiece of distorted pop, psychedelia and soulful guitar wig outs. It is the band’s most adventurous work to date.

London five-piece - Orlando Weeks, Hugo White, Felix White, Rupert Jarvis and Sam Doyle - otherwise known as The Maccabees recorded the album over a period of twelve months, partly with Tim Goldsworthy & Bruno Ellingham (LCD Soundsystem, Massive Attack) at Rockfield studios. Large parts were also recorded at the bands own rehearsal space in Elephant & Castle, with the band themselves on production duty, later decamping to Suffolk to oversee Cenzo Townsend mix the record.

Taking sonic inspiration from a disparate collection of musical peers such as The Stone Roses, Arthur Russell, Kate Bush and David Bowie, tracks like ‘Feel To Follow’, ‘Child’ and ‘Unknow’ find The Maccabees displaying a spectral musicality that suggests a band in the creative zenith of their career.

Whilst there are similarities to be drawn from the bands critically acclaimed sophomore release ‘Wall Of Arms’, which included the singles ‘Love You Better’ and ‘No Kind Words’, ‘Given To The Wild’ finds the band ascending to new heights, both sonically and lyrically. Orlando sums it up best, ‘You grow up. Every Girlfriend you have, every relationship, whatever, you learn how to adapt and mature. That’s exactly the same in a band.’

The Maccabees are confirmed to headline at this years Leeds and Reading Festivals and shall be making a welcomed return to North America later this year.

More details to come.

 

‘The Maccabees are entering the prime of their musical lives’ - NME

“A thoughtful, spiritual record of musical innovation, lyrical purpose and deep feeling.” - The Times 

“The Maccabees finest moment, and an adrenaline shot in the arm for British guitar music.” - Q Magazine 

“An album that bucks a trend rather than starts one.” - The Guardian

“From start to finish, ‘Given To The Wild’ is a truly wonderful record.” - The Fly

“’Given To The Wild’ is majestic and sublime, with multi-layered, complex songs that reward the listener with every play.” - The Sun

 “The Maccabees have made an album so astounding that you feel it can’t help but draw the wider world to them.” - NME

“’Given To The Wild’ will penetrate your soul.” - Clash Magazine

'Given To The Wild' out 04/24/12

 

Tracklisting

Child

Pelican

Feel To Follow

Ayla

Glimmer

Forever I've Known

Heave

Go

Unknow

Went Away

Slowly One

Grew Up At Midnight

**** Q Magazine

**** Evening Standard
**** Sunday Mirror
**** The Times
**** Guardian

**** The Fly (4.5 /5)
**** Artrocker

9/10 NME
9/10 Clash
9/10 Daily Star