I'll just throw this out there: 'Voices Of Animals And Men' was one of the best albums of the noughties. True, at face value, it could easily be misconstrued as a comedy album ("I am the Prince of Wales, and if all else fails, I am the Prince of Wales"). But there's a fantastic vein of realism, pessimism and Britishness that runs throughout the record, making it brilliantly moreish.
I was at their Astoria show back in 2006. A pretty special gig for a number of reasons: first visit to the Astoria (RIP), first gig I'd ever bought tickets to myself, and first gig with my girlfriend (now of seven years and counting). The band were on impeccable form; the banter between Henry and Thomas (aka The House Of Lords) was brilliant, and they tore through tracks from their debut record with phenomenal energy. Admittedly, there's a (charming) simplicity to the band's songwriting, but it's testament to their talent and endeavour that the music scaled effectively to the live stage (their biggest show to date at the time, I would imagine).
I haven't had the chance to catch the band live since, but if they're still sticking to their guns I'm sure it will be just as fun as ever!
Kurt Vile
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