Modern-day soul albums have jettisoned any connection to the politicized world (where the term “soul” originated) in order to explore the heights and depths of romance. So even though Wild Beasts – white, British, homosexual – don’t seem to obviously fit the mold, Smother is nothing if not an appealing and compelling R&B record. Guitars that simultaneously echo ‘70s funk and ‘80s New Pop ring and chime next to top-of-the-charts electronics, offering a sweet yet skewed take on bedroom tunes. The up-tempo skip of “Bed Of Nails” and the pulsing stalk of “Plaything” and “Albatross” express the yearning extremes of love in flower, and when the end comes too soon (aptly with the finale “End Comes Too Soon”), the idea of full immersion in love – in other words, being smothered in emotion – sparks a longing to hear Smother again and again.
Whatever side you're falling on in the recent NBC late-night "deck chairs on the Titanic " shuffle, you have to admit it's been good comedy for all parties involved. While Letterman and Craig Ferguson have been sharp (especially Letterman, who has been gleeful in his "I told you so" vitriol), the best bits have come from Leno and O'Brien. Evidence: It's hard to follow all the angles here, but two things are clear: NBC violated Leno's contract (guaranteeing the 10pm slot), and NBC didn't violate O'Brien's contract (which made no time slot guarantees). So it's not hard to see who the loser here will be. O'Brien won't get the show he wants, Leno will step into a hollow echo of his past success, and tens of millions of dollars will be up in the air. Only Jimmy Fallon will continue to gestate his talent relatively unmolested, and his security is merely a function of the low expectations of his time slot. Meanwhile, CBS (a
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