New Animal

The thing with music blogging is that, quite often, you’ve only known of a band a few weeks and only listened to their stuff a handful of times before writing and posting about their music. It’s fairly obvious why this is the case (you know, the nature of blogging about new music is that the music needs to be new, really), but what it can mean is a lot of positive press and superlatives for bands who make music that immediately grabs you, leaving those bands whose music burns its way slowly into your mind sourly unrepresented.

Take New Animal for instance. I was literally just preparing myself by listening to their self-titled album to put up a blog post praising a track or two from it, whilst also commenting about my disappointment that not the rest of the release could live up to these tracks’ standards – but then it finally hit me, and I finally ‘got’ the record.

15 tracks of worldy sounds from Atlanta’s Kris Hermstad and Derek Burdette, their album is largely made up of harmony-filled psychedelic pop songs through the medium of a range of big vocals, twangs, jingles and buzzes. Other Side has one of the catchiest choruses (and bass-lines, actually) I’ve heard this year (granted, it’s only a month old) which is slowly built towards and finally comes after three minutes of teasing, and much of the album follows catchy pop, alebit sometimes downbeat, suit. its But it also delves into the darker and varied side of things on regular occasions, too; Science seemingly New Animal’s (slightly lighter) take on Nine Inch Nails with a ticking drum-machine and buzzing synth throughout, and the likes of Last Winter, Fires In The Backyard and In The Water At Night sees them delving into the melancholic depths of - perhaps Bon Iver influenced – country and folk.

New Animal isn’t perfect, and some tracks aren’t as good as others. This is no surprise. It’s the case for the vast majority of albums, obviously. But it does offer far, far more in terms of consistency, strength and breadth than I originally gave it credit for. Thank God for doubting myself.

Download some stuff below or grab it in its entirety at bandcamp.


New Animal - Other Side


New Animal - They Don't Know

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