Given the profound changes
Hayden Thorpe
experienced after
Wild Beasts
ended, it was only natural that he looked inward. At once raw with loss and a healing space, his debut solo album,
Diviner
, broached the themes of desire and identity he explored with his former band in a down-to-earth way that drew listeners close and trusted that they'd pay attention. On
Moondust for My Diamond
, it feels just as natural for
Thorpe
to step outside himself and put his faith in the world around him. The shift in his mood makes itself known quickly: the weightless acoustic strumming and mellow acceptance of "The Universe Is Right" feels light years from
's struggles, and "Material World"'s synths sparkle like sunbeams. Nature and the wonder it inspires in him is a major motif of songs such as "Golden Ratio," and
combines this awe with a luxe sensuality inherited from
' latter-day albums; the song title "Supersensual" is an apt description of this record (and
's body of work in general). The hyperreal lushness of
Smother
and
Boy King
resurfaces on the glossy "Metafeeling" and "No Such Thing," where prowling synths give an extra jolt to realizations like "Within this skin/I am boundless." Working with
Bullion
Richard Formby
-- who also helped shape 2020's Aerial Songs EP --
's embrace of a wide range of sounds feels all the more vital compared to
's sober, largely acoustic palette. Warping electronics illustrate his questioning on "Suspended Animation," while "Rational Heartache" blends post-punk guitar and house-inspired piano into one of the album's most dynamic songs.
adds some intriguing wrinkles to
Moondust
's polished sounds with his lyrics. He makes "LMFAO" sound like a mantra on "Runaway World," and finds himself "somewhere between mystery and hope" on "Hotel November Tango," which gives the introspection of his debut a darkly electronic twist. Though its smoothness sometimes makes
a little less immediate than
, it's the perfect complement to that album's somber reflections and another confident step forward in his creative journey. ~ Heather Phares