ALBUM REVIEW

       Given to the Wild is The Maccabees' third album, which has already gotten a lot of media praise in their United Kingdom home. They recorded the album over two years and the result was a compilation of beautiful and intricate tracks.

       The best track on Given to the Wild is "Forever I've Known," a desperate plea and apology to a lover (I want to see you/It's not good enough to have you here in my head). It's a slow track and the vocals are clearer than in any other song on the album. It has a quiet but driving beat layered over guitar melodies and slowly builds up for an electric conclusion.

      Aside from this one memorable track, though, most of the songs (like "Child," "Feel to Follow," and "Glimmer") are a bit repetitive and unmemorable, like a pretty song you might hear in the dramatic finale of a primetime show.

     The repetitive nature of "Child" is more than likely due to its simple melody and coordinating lyrics. On the other hand, "Ayla" takes the free-flowing hippie style of the band to another level, making the song faint and reminiscent of background music that's haunting until the next song comes on.

     In other words, instrumental musically inclined people may be more likely to appreciate this album, the years of work that went into making it and the incredible amount of layered musical sounds. Listeners who gravitate more towards the lyrics of songs rather than the instrument usage and production quality might have trouble relating to Given to the Wild. This collective project allows all of the layers of music to distract from the heart of the album, which should have been the lyrics.