Brilliant album that is even better played live.

Now this album, is underated. Common guys, this is a phenomenal album. It shows the mature form of The Maccabees, compared with their previous albums. As you can perceive many influences, it's definitely not a mono-tone album. Go, Pelican, Ayla, Feel to follow, Forever I've Known, Heave... a great album. A top 10 spot for sure.

While I like the early Radiohead and Coldplay sounds I don't think I'm going to come back to this one. It is a good album none the less and it definitely deserves to be in the top 50 of 2012.

If i'm right, this was the first 2012 album added to the site.

What do i make of the maccabees? It's been 15 years since radiohead's "ok computer" and 17 since "the bends" but their influence is still being felt, most likely through subsequent derivatives like coldplay and muse. In this case, there's a heavy flavor of radiohead-by-the-way-of-coldplay-or-starsailor going on here that initially keeps me from focusing on the songs of "given to the wild". Turning to the vocals, they can sometimes be downright wussy-frail like at the beginning of "feel to follow", but elsewhere the vocals are quite emotive and tugging in a coldplay-kinda way. Overall, these are good songs, but there is no stratosphere-piercing "high and dry" or "yellow" in here, only semblances of their ghosts, which still work well.

Just recently came across them.... how had I gone so long without hearing them??

I like Ayla

Ahh, the pedestal! The monument! The great giver and fruit bearer of our lives! For the spirit and guster of the last heroes dare, you bestow on us a new Maccabees album! And..... it's...... all.... spaced.... out..... and..... floating..... like.... The stop start automation Libertines fodder is gone from this one. Now it is half progressive banger theatre aspect and half 'Dog Man Star' era Suede... with less guitars. Tracks like 'Child' and 'Ayla' are long shards of crystallized music that could soundtrack the fetus floating in the womb. And it carries on. It breaths. The first time I listened to this album it didn't drop form once. In fact, the end only gets better. 'Go' comes on and bursts into rainbow colored thunder pounding the Australian outback. A CIVILIZATION COULD COLLAPSE TO THIS MUSIC! In a good way ofcourse. The drums, the guitar, all the electricity, chemical, toxcity only does wonders as far as the ending goes. How does 'My Girls' and 'Summertime Clothes' sound to you? Can you listen to music without prejudice of who is flaunting it? Well this could be your favorite album of 2012. Tribal to a goat's heart. I'm done.

Good album, bit generic but good none the less

Best Tracks: Child, Go, Pelican.