Boy King came out in 2016 and landed as Wild Beasts’ fifth and final studio album, which gives it a bit of extra weight in hindsight. By this point, the band had already moved far away from the art-rock weirdness of their early days into sleeker, more electronic territory. Boy King feels like them fully committing to that direction, pushing their sound as far and as hard as it could go before calling it a day.

The album sounds sharp, tense, and restless. It’s driven by pulsing synths, clipped beats, and a cool, slightly aggressive energy that feels very of its time without being disposable. There’s still that Wild Beasts emotional core underneath, but it’s wrapped in something colder and more physical. The vibe is anxious but confident, like music made for late nights when your brain won’t switch off and you lean into the chaos instead.

A few tracks really define the album’s character. “Get My Bang” opens things up with a rush of momentum and attitude, while “Alpha Female” and “Big Cat” balance sleek grooves with a sense of unease. “Tough Guy” leans into bravado in a way that feels knowingly performative rather than macho.

What makes Boy King worth revisiting is its focus. It’s tight, modern, and emotionally charged without getting messy. As a final statement, it works surprisingly well – a record that captures Wild Beasts embracing intensity, ambition, and forward motion right up to the end.