Glass Animals can now confidently assume the mantle of smoothest band in the UK, and possibly the world. They’re back with a concept album, How To Be A Human Being, that delivers all the same thrills but with new attitude.
Glass Animals announced themselves as a truly unique band with their debut album, Zaba. They created an exotic indie rock that reminded you of dense jungle vistas. Groovy and funky, they became famous for their onomatopoeic song titles such as ‘Gooey’, ‘Pools’, ‘Hazey’, and ‘Flip’. All these tracks could be described as icky, but not in a bad way, in the sense they stuck to you, covering you in the strange but pleasurable matter of a new world. They had the ability to suck you in to the depths of the environment they built and then flood you with euphoric choruses. The real showstopper was ‘Gooey’, as fans shouted at the tops of their voices for “those peanut butter vibes” all the while wondering what the hell that meant.
Zaba was certainly one of the most triumphant debut albums of recent times, positioning Glass Animals as perhaps one the coolest alternative acts in the world. This time they have unleashed an equally ambitious project that brings all the familiar flavours while also giving us something new.
How To Be A Human Being is an album based on a whole heap of real people the band have met while touring and travelling. Each track represents a different personality and story, which is mirrored by the cover art. A new catchphrase has also arrived:
“My girl eats mayonnaise”
These food related lyrics are exactly the type of quirky attitude that fans love and is becoming somewhat of an in-joke on social media. The line appears on third single ‘Season 2 Episode 3′, a decidedly off-beat track that at times sounds like a computer game before it dissolves into that recognisable Glass Animals jam. Unsurprisingly, the end to that topical sentence goes; “from a jar when she’s gettin’ blazed.”
This album is certainly more diverse than Zaba, frontman Dave Blayley bringing a new edgy attitude to his writing. Musically they explore some more wild techniques while still staying true to their core. A major strength of Dave, is that his voice can make any material sound good, so his lyrics never fail, despite how strange or confounding they become. Similar to Alex Turner of The Arctic Monkeys, he’s so smooth that almost anything works.
First single ‘Life Itself’ was the perfect introduction to the new record. Faster, and with an obviously new approach to narrative, it still contains those hypnotic jungle beats and wall of sound chorus that we love.
How To Be A Human Being is the perfect sophomore offering because it’s the same but different. All the elements that fans love can be found here but we’re also getting something fresh, something that manages to be original while still building on the foundations of Zaba. A good example is ‘The Other Side of Paradise’, a song that definitely sounds more aggressive than most they have released but once again it maintains that delicious, almost tangible soundscape Glass Animals are now known for.
Tracks like ‘Youth’ and ‘Mama’s Gun’ are also standouts but there is one song that perhaps stands above all others.
The final track ‘Agnes’ is a beauty, the finest example of everything Glass Animals have to offer across both albums. They manage to be nostalgic, melancholic, fun, and euphoric all at the same time. At their best, they positively drip with mood and atmosphere and that’s the case with ‘Agnes’. Lyrically, Dave is very strong here too. Specific without getting too obscure, singing:
“That nervous breath you try to hide
Between the motions
That trembling tender little sigh
And so it goes
A choking rose back
To be reborn
I want to hold you like you’re mine”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtWIz0lnyo8
Despite the sadness of the content, this song still lifts you up to an extent and places you in a state of heightened contemplation, something many of their tracks do. It’s a fantastic way to close out the album.
Ultimately, HTBAHB lives up to its lofty expectations, delivering a new food lyric along with a fresh burst of attitude while maintaining the delightful Glass Animals groove.
Have you had a chance to listen yet? What did you think?