Album Review: Animal Names - Let It Been

It’s pretty rare these days to find a band from across the Atlantic drawing heavily from the old UK music scene; Canadian band Animal Names have shown it can be done with their sophomore LP, ‘Let It Been’.

The album is introduced to us with ‘In Jonah Town’; heavy on the Hammond Organ and incorporating some interesting vocal effects, this one-minute-something long intro track has a really classic groove about it, something gritty to get your teeth into at the beginning of the album.

This first impression certainly causes your ears to prick up with interest and intrigue in terms of what Animal Names have to offer, and after hearing the album about 10 times in the last week, it keeps that interest there, and to be honest, even though it’s a bit of a cliché, every listen is just as enjoyable as the last.

Throughout the record you’ll find that many of the tracks take a similar tone to one another; the following ‘Jolene’s Inferno’ and ‘Pillar In Percepolis’ both echo the same structure and sound, but it seems to really work. The overdrive, the complimenting male and female vocals, the little flares of organ and synth creeping into many of the tracks all add to how special the album is.

With each track being quirkier than the last, the sixties influence is fairly evident in many of the songs, none more so than ‘99 Luft Einkaufstasche/Santa’s Bday’ and ‘Jawbroken’ where Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and The Beatles are paid homage to by having a handful of their lyrics thrown into the mix.

The album carries on with some really easy going tracks, some great road trip music. ‘(Where Is My) Space Puppy’, ‘D. Storsley’ and ‘Roof Juice’ are all hits that stand out.

I suppose if you were going to make a comparison, Animal Names are a lot like Straylight Run but with a bit of a sixties twist. I’d say they share the same musicality as bands like the Cardigans or Letters To Cleo; my only criticism about the band would be that the female vocals don’t quite have the same punch as their respective comparisons, and the songs don’t really offer anything groundbreaking, but to be honest, the voice suits the style perfectly and every song really adds to the magic of the album.

‘Bone Comb’ closes the album on high; another upbeat sixties throwback showing all the classic components of a great song. There isn’t much else to say other than the fact that this is a great record made by a great band, definitely a must buy!

Whilst 'Let It Been' is now available only through digital download or vinyl, the record retains its sense of charm and had a distinct quality about it which is so hard to find in many mainstream bands these days. It’s a shame the band decided to go their separate ways, however I’m sure this is an album that will be remembered by fans and the like, and will be listened to for many summers to come.

4/5

‘Let It Been’ by Animal Names is available now through Boat Dreams From The Hill.

Animal Names on MySpace.

Sandeep Dawett