Rockfreaks.net

Magnetic Animals

Fork EP

Written by: PP on 21/01/2015 22:54:23

Well, someone's been listening to some Arctic Monkeys, huh? That's literally the first impression that pops out from listening to "Fork" EP by Århus based Magnetic Animals, given the playful and danceable indie rock melodies showcased by opening track "Champagne". And that's not just the case instrumentally: the Brit rock influence is also heavily present in the manner the vocals are delivered with. There's a ton of charisma on display here, which means they come across as slightly pompous and definitely very poppy. That makes sense, because the band borrows significant chunks from pop music as they try to add ambition into their otherwise straight forward brand of indie rock.

The band themselves state Queens Of The Stone Age as an influence on the EP's press materials. While not overtly accurate, you can certainly here parts on for example "Facelift" where both the effect-laden guitar solo and the vocal style look in that direction for inspiration. This is but a small part in their sound, however, because otherwise we're firmly in indie rock territory. Songwriting wise, it means the songs aren't necessarily particularly original, but are fun listens nonetheless thanks to the slightly brazen and in-your-face structure that, again, owes itself to the Monkeys. Sadly, the promising expression suffers from a shoddy production that's too quiet and lacking in balance, screaming of DIY values, which unfortunately results into blurry instrumentation and vocals blending together with the rest of the soundscape. A little bit more crispness and clarity in the mix would do these songs wonders. In their current state, they can mostly only be recommended to people who wish to be ultra, ultra early in a band's progression as musicians and fan base development.

Download: Champagne,
For the fans of: Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand
Listen: Facebook

Release date 01.10.2014
Self-Released