Boy King
by Wild Beasts
  • Record Label: Domino
  • Release Date: Aug 5, 2016
Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 27 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 27
  3. Negative: 0 out of 27
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  1. Record Collector
    Aug 12, 2016
    60
    Boy King is too one-dimensional to be effective. It’s as if the band have taken their sound to army college to beef it up, but in the process forgot all the books they’d read, the ugly facets that made them such interesting wallflowers.
  2. The Observer (UK)
    Aug 8, 2016
    60
    Too many songs sound like generic electronic rock. But a masterful mid-album run--the intriguing, three-legged sulk of 2BU into He the Colossus into the pitch-shifted bomp’n’thwack of Ponytail--is as arresting and fresh as they wanted the rest of this album to be.
  3. Consequence
    Aug 2, 2016
    58
    There’s sonic beauty everywhere in Boy King. The arrangements are impeccable and frequently ingenuous, but the album doesn’t yield much on repeated listens. Somehow the humanity of Wild Beasts’ previous work is nowhere here.
  5. Exclaim
    Aug 10, 2016
    50
    Wild Beasts have always been strong performers, but only when seemingly unaware; by tackling the trope of hubris-laden bro rockers, Boy King finds them becoming the butt of their own jokes, with little more than mindless dance tracks to show for it.
  6. Slant Magazine
    Jul 29, 2016
    50
    By blatantly exposing a core of raw sexuality, previously presented only indirectly in their music, the group ends up removing any possible release valve while stripping the songs of nuance.

User Reviews

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User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 36 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 36
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 36
  3. Negative: 2 out of 36
  1. Noiseblock
    Aug 6, 2016
    10
    This album is completely different from everything the Wild Beasts have done so far in terms of thematic approaches. So far, Wild Beasts haveThis album is completely different from everything the Wild Beasts have done so far in terms of thematic approaches. So far, Wild Beasts have mostly been comfortably walking on a thin edge between romanticised versions of love in modern times and a underlying, more animalic side of sexuality. Smother was the first complete dive into the layers of these topics and created an intense, claustrophobic atmoshpere while Present Tense built on that premise, aptly balancing the two sides, relishing the possibilities this duality has to offer. This duality goes overboard on Boy King and strangely enough, it is just the righ thing to do on a album titled Boy King, implying the perspective of an empowered individual that is still stuck in the mindset, mannerisms and negative habits of a child. The album reflects this perfectly: differentiation gets tossed out for energy and tempo, living for the now, not caring about the consequences and being as hedonistic and selfish just as a Boy King would be. The album blasts away at an immense speed, trading subtle arrangements of other Wild Beasts-albums for thundering synths and rolling basslines and overall sounds like a mix of 80´s "let´s get to action"-allure synth-pop and modern dancefloor anthems, again stressing the gist of this record. I haven´t seen such a perfect arrangement between the concept of an album an the actual content for quite some time, both lyrics-wise and in terms of the actual music, which definitely leads me to give this album a perfect score as I can´t find a single weak song on this record or one that does not fulfill an important role in this all.… Full Review »
  2. brettrosey
    Aug 5, 2016
    4
    Smother is turning out to be a blessing and a curse of an album for WB. A blessing because it's one of the greatest records of thisSmother is turning out to be a blessing and a curse of an album for WB. A blessing because it's one of the greatest records of this generation, and a curse because nothing they ever do will live up to that. I went into this record with that understand, but still came out disappointed. Wild Beasts are one of my favorite bands, but this record falls short on numerous different levels. The songwriting feels uninspired, relying on the same opening percussion and layered, arpeggiated synths to close out many of the tracks. I'd give the repetitiveness a pass if it were a little bid more enticing from a melodic standpoint, but the truth is nearly none of these tracks resonate with me. Smother is an album that gives me chills to my core, Boy King is one that never strays beyond the surface. Pretty disappointing, overall.… Full Review »
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