Title:
The Animalhouse EP
Artist(s):
The Animal House
El-Camel's Ratings:
Label:
Boilerhouse/Arista
Reviewer:
sydney cathew
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Oxford
music scene graduates Mark Gardener (Ride) and Sam Williams (The Mystics) air
the first recordings from their new band. As a thesis, this one is thick with
cracked mirror (check the sleeve) reflections on the pseudo dark side of the
tune. 'Animal' is artfully electronic: urging, primal - with a thumping back
beat that drives on through a punky guitar thrash, all underpinned by a low
throbbing bass and breathlessly pert vocals. There are references to the gothic
shadows of current media squeeze Death In Vegas although the power elements
are far more Afghan Whigs prototype. All in all this makes the track quite a
feisty and hairy little beast. Though ultimately it's more Pavlov's dog than
startlingly original cool cat in concept.
'Sodium Glow' is
alternatively low key; it's understated detachment reminding of previous bleak
zone media favourites - Bristol's Portishead. Beth Gibbons atmospheric nightclub
trip is briefly recreated - the after dark vocals all quiet phrasing and secretive.
'Essence' completes a mixed trio with a scratchy tech noir intro yielding to
a light, unremarkable acoustic commerciality.
They've followed
an intelligent course for two years to bring us this debut. Now they need to
forget the lecture notes, and the learned sources, and start thinking more for
themselves. For sure they definitely style check all the right bases, but for
now - despite a certain contrived energy on the first track - they're not distinctive
enough to pass out with full honours.
michael
white
The Animalhouse:
The Animalhouse EP - Boilerhouse/Arista ah 001CD
www.animalhouse.co.uk
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