THE PHANTOM BAND- THE WANTS

This sounds like what would happen if you got Nick Cave, Eddie Vedder and some wild animals involved in a sacrificial burning. With bones as percussion, skulls as bongos- and Satan as the producer. I see a pop-princess-gone-bad in their film clips, à la Kylie Minogue in Where the Wild Roses Grow. The Wants is purely evil stuff with ghastly sound effects and hauntingly low vocals courtesy of Rick Anthony. This is the second album for the Scottish indie boys and is enchanting as it is dangerous, like the cat-call for a cult. In O they’re truly scary, channelling Pol Pot “I’m gonna gather these books and burn them.” But there are also some beautiful moments, like the ballad of The None of One when Rick reaches some high notes and shows us some heart. But then we’re quickly shifted into the fast-paced electronic beats of Mr Natural and we hear the sexually-charged swagger of his voice unfold. All the while, the instrument that unites each track is surprisingly a xylophone which supplies some chills to the otherwise hot energy of exploding instruments and rebellious vocals.

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