September: 18 albums you need to hear this month

Wild Beasts 'Boy King' (Domino)

Wild Beasts are back, this time with an “apocalyptic” second album exploring sex and death. Full of smart, pleasing vocal hooks and chiming guitar solos, ‘Boy King’ is way more rock than their electronic debut. “I’m letting my inner Byron out,” said frontman Thorpe, and on the gritty yet seductive ‘He The Colossus’, he teases “You’re my sweet cherub, you could have me any time.” Written in London and recorded in Texas, ‘Boy King’ is intrusive, abrasive and in-your-face – but that’s no criticism: one can imagine lads properly belting out ‘Big Cat’ and ‘Alpha Female’ at live shows. “I wanna feel outrageous,” Thorpe sings in a falsetto on the overtly sexual ‘Get My Bang’, all pulsating synths and a heart rate-rising guitar climax. Excellent.

8/10