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| Photo by Bronson Karaff |
Three years in the making, it doesn't
disappoint.
I'll wait while you give it a listen.
Animal Lover was one of my top memories
from last year, and I'm stoked as hell that they're coming back this
year. They're a hard band to pin down. Backed by a strong DIY ethic,
Addison, Nathan, and Evan have resurrected a sludge, noise, punk
whirlwind that's reminiscent of all the good things about AmRep. It's
not, however, a straight forward slug fest. There's a wonderful
subtlety to them that haunts their consistent, droning, plodding,
shredding, shrieking, bristling tempo. It's awash in pent up, tense
frustration, boiling right up to the point of exploding but
maintaining a simmering angst. Every time I listen to their records,
I experience some weird, lingering, stinging bitterness. It's not like
they've left me unfulfilled or that somehow the songs miss their
mark; it points more to the unrelenting intensity of each song.
Animal Lover sticks in your teeth constantly reminding you that the
world is unclean and no matter what pretense or posture you harbor,
life is a dirty mess. Animal Lover screams at you to wake up, to not
take things for granted, and to bask in the relentless turmoil of
chaos.
Well, at least that's where I end up.
There's nothing that sparks my interest
more than a band who slogs through the tireless work of touring,
recording, and playing and still finds ways to be inventive and to
maintain their intensity. Throw in the fact that they're some super
awesome guys who seem to collaborate on everything, their unique,
solid sound is something that shouldn't be overlooked. Sadly, bands
come and go, but I'm holding out hope that Animal Lover will play for
my kids one day. Vibrancy is a gift.
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