Glasgow five – piece Animalcules released their DIY debut album Luz at the end of January.
Animacules single Flavour town was in my Spotify wrapped 2024 as a most played track, with Pseudo Non-Fiction not too far behind it, I was glad this five – piece from Glasgow had been brought to my attention. So when I saw the band announce on social media that they were dropping an album at the end of January you better believe I had it pre-saved – and played it several times that weekend!
The band fall somewhere within an alternative, progressive emo sound and bring some really catchy tunes to our ears. As much as they may be ‘new in town’ they have had some pretty impressive wins already – having played twice at King Tuts and a sold-out show at Audio supporting Kuro.
Aniamlcules are exceptionally versitile in their creations, they themselves say they blend emo, math rock and progressive influences, crafting a sound that is entirely their own. Luz is ten tracks of real uniqueness. Iit is an impressive debut and what makes it even more impressive, is the fact that the album was completely DIY, mixed and mastered by the bands singer Ellis Sparks.
Animalcules suggest that their album is for fans of; Origami Angel, Satyr, Foxing and Hail the Sun and I am not embarrased to admit I had to go check out each and every one of those bands. We can’t keep up with everything ,right?
Personally, when I first heard the band I was immediately reminded of American emo/math rock trio Tiny Moving Parts with a hint of Eternity Forever ; a band made up of musicians from Chon, Dance Gavin Dance and Strawberry Girls. Vocally, I felt Ellis was channeling his is inner Patrick Miranda of Movements, especially with some of those powerful moments that are belted out.
The album opens with Favourite Town which opens with a drone before erupting into a reall cool guitar line and intertwined bass lick. There timing is impeccable as they get inventive with time signatures and rhythm changes. I can almost picture a crowd all bopping their head as the song plays out.
Ready to face the great unknown. It’s your time to shine, you’ve got a lot to show. Aim for the sky because there is still time to feel so devine.
Pseudo – Non – Fiction is probably still one of my favourite tracks on the album. It opens with a soft and gentle vocals before to the singer coming in with some exceptionally strong vocals that immediately grab your attenion. The band’s use of dynamics and texture throughout the album is to be admired – they take the listener on a journey and definitely keeps you on your toes.
The band aimed to structure the song list in such a way that the first half of the album felt ‘a little lighter’ while the second half of the album explores the darker side of life and emotions – touching on struggle, love and loss. Midnorth was the tonal game-changer in tone of the album in that respect:
It feels like I have nothing left to say. I wish I felt another way. It feels like I’m slowly drifting away. So let me down, I’ll be ok.
Closing the album is Minimal Brain Damage which is their most ‘laid back’ track of the ten, yet still packed with a great deal of flashy guitar parts, great vocal hooks and experimental rhythm shifts in the rhythm section.
There is an incredibly strong foundation here, which I am certain the band will continue to build on it as they grow and developb both as individuals and as musicians. I think this is a band to watch, I’m genuinly excited to see their journey unfold.
Luz is filled with passion, energy, incredible technique and clear evidence of hard work. It’s honestly hard to beleive that these guys are still so young and have only been playing together for a few years. There isn’t a weak song on this album at all! It’s an exceptionally impressive debut – and a very clear sign of things to come.
