"If you're gonna hit me, hit me harder//'cause you better knock me out the first time"
Wild World is the second studio album of the British band, Bastille and was released on September 9th of this year. The group was formed in 2010 and their first album, Bad Blood. (This is the album that had that one song, you know the one... the one that was the only thing playing on the radio for a whole month...)
Personally, I'm a huge fan of Bastille and absolutely love their cover of 'What Would You Do,' but Wild World was something that was well needed. In the short time that the album has been out, I've been listening to it non-stop.
"You might have to excuse me, I've lost control of all of my senses//You might have to excuse me, I've lost control of all of my words."
The album opens with spoken word in 'Good Grief,' which also recurs in following songs. The single 'Good Grief' was released prior to the album release and was popularized quickly. I can understand why this song is popular, but I definitely have other favorites on the album as well.
Out of the 19 songs on the complete edition of the album, I would say that there wasn't any part of the album that disappointed. I might be biased though, because Bastille could literally release anything and I would be happy with it. That being said, Wild World surpassed all of my expectations.
If I was asked to pick a favorite song off of the album, that couldn't really be done.
"We could have been born to do anything and now, and now//What you have done is terrible."
When Twitter users asked Bastille (@BastilleDan) what the most depressing song on the album was, the reply was 'Four Walls (The Ballad of Perry Smith). Without getting too in depth, the song was inspired by Perry Smith, an ex-convict convicted and hanged in the United States for the murder of a family in Kansas in 1959.
Initially upon hearing the song, I enjoyed listening to it as a break between 'Lethargy' and 'Blame.' 'Four Walls' is a branching out of Bastille's sound, incorporating some more electronic sounds than were exhibited in Bad Blood. I liked the way it sounded and just realized how messed up the meaning behind it was...
"Did you really think I'd fall to my knees just to pray for some sweet simplicity?"
'Power' is the sixth track on the album and Dan Smith repeats the title about twenty times throughout the song, so if you listen to the track you'll know. My first time listening to the album straight through was earlier today during a run and this song really boosted my mood for the remainder. The first set of lyrics in this article is from 'Power,' because they've been stuck in my head for about three hours and I really really like the bridge of this song.
'Power' doesn't remind me of Bastille's initial sound, but I appreciate it. Between Bad Blood and WildWorld, the band has really expanded their sound and explored a more electronic side of sound.
I'm probably not going to listen to anything else for the semester, so if you don't like Bastille, it would be in your best interest not to pass me the aux cord.
