Wildlife Born To Ruin

I feel like there's been something of a move away from the large-scale, grandiose rock 'n' roll that's created to fill a stadium. Not that bands don't fill venues these days -- they do, and with relish. But often it's dance music, or even a stripped down kind of rock that's made big with effects. What I'm talking about is the sound itself: orchestral, emotive, and BIG.

That's the kind of sound I get listening to Wildlife's new single "Born To Ruin." Off their forthcoming album ...On The Heart (out February 26, 2013), this is a track that, as the band describes it, is full of heart. It's pulsing with emotion, a gut feeling that builds with the steady thrum of percussion, the impassioned vocals, and the occasional wail of a guitar riff.

Big rock doesn't have to mean cheesy rock, and Wildlife prove that heartily with this track. And even if their sound could fill a stadium, I'd be psyched to have them melt my face off in a small venue. Because really, that's the best of all worlds, right?