★★★★☆
It’s taken four years and a major lifestyle change, but for lovers of all things light-hearted, Ladyhawke’sWild Thingsis worth the wait. Refraining from delving into darkness, Pip Brown has created a sweet, sun-kissed record.
Wild Things feels at once like a fresh start and a continuation of Ladyhawke’s 2008 debut. Full of hope and evoking the listener’s participation, it’s a beautiful addition to the Kiwi songwriter’s catalogue.
‘A Love Song’ is an upbeat anthem with super-soaked synths and infectious lyrics: “You’ve opened my eyes to the oldest tale of time / This is what a love song sounds like”. Led by a feel-good, funky drumbeat, ‘The River’ is a satisfying sing-along, before the title track’s minute-long intro allows the twinkly synths and reverberating vocals to softly seep in.
‘Chills’, ‘Sweet Fascination’ and ‘Golden Girl’ are all romance-based, and they’re set in a blissfully optimistic land of love. Matched by incessantly fun percussion and video game synth sounds, they’re all-round enjoyable tunes. Meanwhile, ‘Hillside Avenue’ is a bouncing tribute to putting the past behind you.
Closing with ‘Dangerous’, Wild Things is the most rounded Ladyhawke release to date, which sees Brown in an authentic and charmingly colourful state of mind.
