‘Into The Arms of Kali’ opens The Animal Mothers third full release in the space of a year; the track sets the tone of the first half of the release very well establishing the more psychedelic (or more so than usual anyway) feeling of the EP.
The more laid back groove of this track is the first sign that the EP will be a slight departure from the more focused punk/garage barrage of the last two releases.
The reverb-drenched vocals also feel more in place here than they have when they’ve appeared on previous tracks; they fit the track better giving a more cohesive feel to the music.
Second track ‘Eliminator’ bears only a resemblance in name to the ZZ Top album; it’s tracks like this where the new element of the band comes to the forefront, the track would be far too similar to previous releases if that drudging bass line hadn’t been here to add some texture.
Yet the bass also creates an interesting dynamic within the tracks, there’s jangly surf inspired guitars here sitting just above a layer of filthy bass.
‘All My Friends Are High and So Am I’ presents itself with a very danceable drumbeat then again lays a heavy bass and guitar assault over it; the tightness of the rhythm section make the track seem incredibly claustrophobic and focused yet the spacey, floating vocals laid out on top create an intriguing juxtaposition.
If you take the EP as a whole it also stands proudly alongside the group’s other releases, but has a slightly different light to it, instead of melding the band’s love of b movies, punk and traditional first wave rock n’ roll acts it incorporates the bands psychedelic and more “out there” influences.
The EP’s strength isn’t simply in incorporating these for brief points, it’s in building the tracks around these.
As well as the influences the band show on this release the change in their sound is also due to the new member.
While the band do lose some of that surprise factor of seeing just two people make such a bang they’ve traded that in for some more depth and sophistication.
Everything feels more thought through, less of a flat out race more of a marathon approach in both the writing and recording process.
Considering the wide strides that the band have made in between this and their previous release the difference is quite startling.
If enough time is taken between Eliminator and the inevitable next release, it’s not a large leap to assume that the next release could also be on the same impressive level or perhaps rise even higher.
Words: Phil Allen
Rave Child 