Send "The Maccabees " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Pitchfork |
 The Maccabees emerged at a time when UK bands had it good. In the mid-2000s, the Futureheads, Bloc Party, and Arctic Monkeys all released exciting debuts. And there was enough connective tissue between the groups to make them feel like they somehow belonged together-- shared post-punk influences helped in that regard. These bands made sense both in isolation and as a whole; the Maccabees debut record, Colour it In, slotted just fine on the racks next to Maximo Park.In 2012, the world of indie bands in the UK is more fractured, and the Maccabees struggle to find a foothold. They are the sort of band that looks much better in a throng. There's nothing especially remarkable about them and, at this point, they feel like a reflection of the stalled state of British indie music in general. Perhaps as a way to shake things up, the band's third record, Given to the Wild, looks to the sound of Wild Beasts and Foals, two of the few real UK indie success stories of the past couple of years. On a similar tip they also enlist Tim Goldsworthy of DFA fame to produce, though there's very little you would usually associate with him on this record. Setting aside the obvious grabs from other bands and sounds, there are moments where the darker hues suggest that this is in fact a more interesting direction for the Maccabees. "Child", for example, revolves around an elastic bassline, brass, and descending guitar patterns, and the harmonies are nicely laid for the first couple of minutes. The sense of restraint is effective, allowing enough space to open up for each of those pleasing elements, but then the final couple of minutes spoil things, especially when an uninvited gaudy, prog-guitar line crowds the party....full text |
| Whatculture |
| Akin to those star-crossed lovers kept apart by feuding families in a nondescript 16th century play by a popular bard, myself and The Maccabees have faced similar opposition to our relationship. In our case though, unfriendly relatives were replaced by – a festival set in a sweaty tent by DJ Sub Focus whilst wiping dust from my teeth; bleeding the last drop of my heart out to synthpop duo Hurts in a similarly sweaty tent, with a little less dust; and failing to turn up at a Bloc Party gig in New York (The Maccabees were supporting). But, thanks to XFM Winter Wonderland, the unexpected illness of a member of The Horrors, and the casting aside of the Montague’s and Capulet’s, on 14 December 2011 our paths finally crossed. Love at first sight, however, it was not. But having sampled their live show, and enjoying it to a degree, I thought it was about time I got that long awaited Maccabees fix. And it came in the shape of third album, Given to the Wild. The one some critics are hailing as their ‘mainstream breakthrough’ album. GTTW the wild is, simply put, a beautiful record. As soon as album opener Child takes me in its arms, gently presses me against its heaving, soft bosom and tells me that “Never as a child/Would you give this the time of day”, I am so convinced I would give it not just the time of day, but my all, my everything, that it strikes me that this is going to become far less a review, and more an ode to a new found love....full text |
| Allgonepop |
| London band The Maccabees may have burst into life pedalling tales of toothpaste kisses and leopard print duvets, but now they’re proving their musical chops with an altogether more refined offering, providing ruminations on the bigger questions of life and love. They’ve decided to entitle their third album Given to The Wild – if the thirteen tracks it contains areanything to go by, they should let their hair down more often. As the ghostly echoes of instrumental opener and title track give way to the keening guitar work of the following Child, we’re treated to our first glimpse of the band’s maturation. Taking a step away from their acoustic roots, the band have embraced a variety of influences while retaining the charm that propelled them to fame in the first place. Indeed, the work as a whole is characterised by this diversity of influence it displays – from Ayla, which wouldn’t sound out of place on Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs, to the haunting, Twin Shadow-esque beats of Go. Pelican is indisputably the album’s highlight, a rollicking shanty replete with an infectious enthusiasm, hands-in-the-air chorus and angular guitar riffs aplenty. It’s also one of the most obvious examples of lead singer Orlando Weeks’ blossoming as a songwriter; while previous output had revealed a penchant for kitchen sink realism, the frontman is now seemingly content with exploring things on a deeper level, noting: ‘One thing’s for sure –we’re all getting older’....full text |
The Maccabees lyrics
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