Search - Animal :: LP

Animal is Avant Noise, Free Jazz and Heavy Prog!

Kactus Kong | 01/03/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Brooklyn natives, Animal, sound like a concoction of the best parts of avant noise, free jazz, and hard prog, and on their first full length, the guitar and drums duo cover a great deal of territory. The songs go from bombastic fits of noise to melodic bittersweet riffing, which contrasts well within their music. Comparisons to Hella and Don Caballero are expected, but thankfully, Animal has a savvy eye towards redefining expectations, and on this record they wax nostalgic on the energy and style that once went hand in hand with the sound and feel of a duo.



Animal's strength lies in their longer songs, and the majority of the album is shared between five of the eight songs. Being able to vary the sounds in a more natural way while involving so many different styles in just one song is a risk, but Animal seem to seamlessly go from part to part without invoking the negative impression of shoddy improvisation. Amidst abundant loops and poly-rhythmic interplay, the guitarist aurally clones then aborts himself, allowing the songs and parts to grow and shrink with the intensity of the music. With the majority of the songs on this album sounding relatively similar, the duration of the songs drag a little, and with the vibe remaining unchanged, the songs suffer. The shorter songs, while providing interesting preludes to later songs, do not escape the similar devices heard elsewhere on the album, leaving them anticlimactic and questionable. The toned down feel of the recording leaves more to be desired, lacking the power and heaviness that an album, and band, like this would endlessly profit from.



While the album has its flaws, they are not wholly detrimental to the experience of the songs, instead they make you want to hear more, and see how they, as a band, develop beyond this record. More importantly, Animal embodies the intimacy and excitement that seems to be lost in most instrumental duos, and while not rehashing the past, the music reminisces without seeming contrived. - Foxy Digitalis Review (Andrew Sadowski)"