Animalism
Cornelius Chapel, 2020
10/10
A Birmingham, Alabama supergroup of guys who have played in Warm In The Wake, Sea Fix, Cosmonaut On Vacation and Terry Ohms, as People Years the quartet take nods to the early days of alt-rock and more recent dance-rock, as well as more subtle influences in their innovative formula.
“Recognizable Animal” gets the album off to an exciting start of soaring, precise, modern rock, and “False Start” keeps the creativity high with a buzzing display of restrained and melodic sounds that seem pretty comfortable in the mid ‘90s.
With 10 tracks, there isn’t a dud to be found here, as “Not Really Surfing” builds a lush, swirling blend of atmosphere with alt-rock sensibilities, while “Roadkill” shimmers with a post-rock quality that’s instantly charming. “Fall In Line”, one of the most intriguing tracks, then puts an innovative spin on modern pop ideas that’s both glossy and gritty.
Near the end, “Animal Taxxx” presents some spacey, cosmic moments of psychedelia amid the smooth, flowing indie-rock, and “Fear Culture” exits the listen with some strong riffage as classic rock nods enter the adventurous climate.
A record that somehow reminds us of Girls Against Boys, Pavement and Pink Floyd all at the same time, I feel pretty confident saying that Animalism is going to be one of the best albums of 2020.
Travels well with: Terry Ohms- Cold Cold Shoulder; Witch’s Wall- Witch’s Wall