Ladyhawke - Wild Things

Nein, wild ist das dritte Album von Phillipa "Pip" Brown wirklich nicht geworden. Statt dessen hören wir braven, synthetischen Pop mit deutlichen 80er Jahre-Anleihen, irgendwo zwischen CHVRCHES, Grimes und Tegan And Sara, wenn man Ladyhawke wohl gesonnen ist, oder, wenn man dies nicht ist, zwischen La Roux, Taylor Swift und Ace Of Base.  

Nach "Ladyhawke" (2008) und "Anxiety" (2012) ist "Wild Thing" bereits das dritte Album der Neuseeländerin, der man statt des Treffens mit ihrem neuen Produzenten Tommy Englisch, der alle Ecken und Kanten glatt gebügelt hat, die Zusammenkunft mit einem Menschen gewünscht hätte, der sie ermutigte, das "düstere" Material, welches sie in den letzten Jahren aufgenommen und dann verworfen hatte, zu veröffentlichen. So sind die Kritiken leider größtenteils ziemlich mäßig ausgefallen: 

Wild Things is as likeable as it is cutting edge. (Q Magazine)

For now, this album is a very bland, quite anonymous-sounding disappointment. (AllMusic)

Wild Things does get it right in parts, especially when the approach is that of slightly anxious pop. (The Line Of Best Fit)

There are too many blandly chipper moments that feel better suited to mobile phone ads than an album. (Uncut)

You are left with eleven songs that are entirely devoid of personality and the delivery only emphasises this. (Uncut)

It adds up to a slick and competent, if uninspiring, production. (The Guardian)

Aber irgend jemand findet immer ein gutes Wort - ich habe bereits eine Vermutung, welcher Plattenrichter dies sein könnte - und daher:

Everything on this record is turned up to technicolour ten. ‘Sweet Fascination’ – the first new music to land ahead of the record’s announcement - hits on a joyful abandon somewhere between Yazoo at their most garish, and CHVRCHES in stadium-bothering mode. It’s a pursuit that continues to coarse through the pop-propelled veins of stand-outs ‘Golden Girl,’ ‘Dangerous’ and ‘Hillside Avenue’. (...)

Ladyhawke has always had an ear for gigantic writing like this – just take one look at ‘Paris Is Burning’ for ripe evidence. ‘Wild Things’, though, sees her step up to another new level of ace. Her most consistent album to date, and let-loose like never before, blimey it’s good to have her back. 

(DIY Magazine)

One of the past criticisms of Ladyhawke has been that Brown is more style over substance, but Wild Things puts that theory to bed. There is plenty of heart in evidence here, while tracks like Hillside Avenue and closer Dangerous are reminders of her golden touch when it comes to writing memorable pop tunes. Ultimately, Wild Things is her most consistent and coherent effort to date, surpassing even her debut. It may have taken four years, but the end result has more than justified the wait.

(musicOMH)