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Wall of Arms

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Untitled

Wall of Arms is the second studio album by the English indie band The Maccabees, released on May 4, 2009. The album was preceded by the single "Love You Better" on April 27. The LP was produced by Markus Dravs, who has collaborated with Bjork, Arcade Fire and Coldplay in the past.

Wall Of Arms was also worked on in various cities including Liverpool and Paris, unlike their first long-player which was recorded in "dribs and drabs" according to frontman Orlando Weeks.[1] The video to the album's first official single, "Love You Better", was uploaded exclusively to ClashMusic.com on March 27 ahead of an April 27 release.[2] A review on the same website reads: "The Maccabees have made sure that no listener is going to leave the experience not feeling touched in some way – by the tonal dexterity, the lyrical openness, or something that’s not so obvious until the third or fourth listen." [3] The album leaked on April 26, 2009.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[4]
Clash(very positive)[5]
Drowned In Sound(7/10)[6]
The Fly[7]
Gigwise[8]
God Is in the TV Zine[9]
The Guardian[10].
The London Paper[11]
NME(8/10)[12]
The Observer[13]
Planet Sound(8/10)[14]
The Times[15]

Many professional critics have said that this album, especially the track "No Kind Words", shows a much darker and evolved sound than former album Colour It In:

  • "the five-piece have set about traversing the opposite path to recognition, by delivering a distinctly darker second long-player. This shift in tone was showcased early on by the free download single ‘No Kind Words’; said song sits dead in the middle of this collection like the itch that you just can’t scratch, oddly pleasurable for all its irritation." [3] - Clash
  • "Dismissed as lightweight by some, the band have used their debut as a platform for Wall Of Arms, a far more accomplished album that toys with the dreaded 'm' word: maturity. Gone are the playful, youthful lyrics about toothpaste kisses and innocuous fleeting moments with the opposite sex." [16] - musicOMH

Due to the album production by Markus Dravs, most notably known for his techniques on Arcade Fire's album Neon Bible, this was also a reference point on many critical opinions:

  • "If this all sounds a bit Arcade Fire, note that production credits go to Markus Dravs, who worked on Neon Bible. Thankfully, though, the sound of cynical bandwagon-jumping has been edited out of the mix. In its place are a collection of atmospheric, heartfelt pop songs that frequently fly off at unexpected angles"[17] - The Guardian

Album artwork by British artist Boo Ritson.

Track listing

All tracks by The Maccabees

  1. "Love You Better" – 3:20
  2. "One Hand Holding" – 3:01
  3. "Can You Give It?" – 2:54
  4. "Young Lions" – 3:00
  5. "Wall of Arms" – 3:04
  6. "No Kind Words/Bag of Bones Part A" – 3:39
  7. "Dinosaurs" – 3:15
  8. "Kiss and Resolve" – 3:07
  9. "William Powers" – 3:30
  10. "Seventeen Hands" – 3:49
  11. "Bag of Bones Part B" – 4:41

Singles

  • "No Kind Words" – free download from www.themaccabees.co.uk
  • "Love You Better" (April 27, 2009)
  • "Can You Give It?" (July 6, 2009)

Personnel

  • Orlando Weeks – vocals, guitar
  • Hugo White – guitar
  • Felix White – backing vocals, guitar
  • Rupert Jarvis – bass
  • Sam Doyle – drums

References

  1. ^ The Maccabees Reveal Wall Of Arms Details - AngryApe.com
  2. ^ Maccabees Video Exclusive - ClashMusic.com
  3. ^ a b Maccabees Album Review - ClashMusic.com
  4. ^ Wall of Arms at AllMusic
  5. ^ Clash review
  6. ^ Drowned in Sound review
  7. ^ The Fly review
  8. ^ Gigwise review
  9. ^ God Is in the TV Zine review
  10. ^ The Guardian review
  11. ^ The London Paper review
  12. ^ NME review
  13. ^ The Observer review
  14. ^ Planet Sound review
  15. ^ The Times review
  16. ^ - musicomh.com
  17. ^ Tim Jonze. "Pop review: The Maccabees, Wall of Arms | Music". The Guardian. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
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