Full disclosure: I snagged this one solely because of that wild cover. And can you blame me? Besides, between the face-melting pic and the entropic title pun, I thought Lyon’s Animali might be some sorta cheeky noise-punk or post-rock outfit. In reality, they’re a psychedelic, eccentric pop-rock duo closer to the likes of, say, Tame Impala (with a dash of Radiohead in the mix at times). So when it’s all said and done, it’s not extreme volume or sonic aggression that’s melting your face — it’s drugs. Hey, nothing wrong with that. In any case, you gotta love that cover.
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Born in Lyon in 2014, Animali is the stage name given to the duo formed by Julien Jussey and Benjamin Richardier. Originally Influenced by low-fi, neo-punk productions while dreaming itself as a pop act, Animali published a first EP named The spark and three other poorly-produced pieces of music (2014), followed by a sophomore EP titled This Plane’s Going Down, Are We All Gonna Die? (2015). After three years of absence, Animali are now moving away from their early influences, embracing a more intimate musical style. Mary D. Kay is Animali’s first studio album, produced by Mikrokosm.”
