aaamusic | On 08, Aug 2010

Touting a dreamy post-punk/rock sound in the vein of A Kiss In The Dreamhouse-era Siouxsie & The Banshees, or Talking Heads in one of their more arty moments, Canadian band Plants & Animals have just released the latest single from their third album, the title of which is ‘The Mama Papa’, which is a suitable title for a song dealing with the rite of passage whereby children’s worlds come into conflict with those of their parents’, if a little cryptic otherwise.

The track starts with a blast from the past as the twanging, harmonic guitars, drones and use of esoteric scale patterns evoke the aforementioned comparisons, as does the clattering bells used in the percussion. The melodies intertwine playfully, shimmering amongst one another to give a hazy, dreamlike feel to the track, and the chiming drone creates a mystical atmosphere all of its own.  The busy percussion also add a lighthearted, skipping feel to it. Overall, the instrumentation feels almost otherworldly and surprisingly innocent. However, the halting, anxious vocals are an update to the sound, bringing in a strong modern indie rock feel to the song. In many contexts, this combination of hazy instrumentation and indie-rock vocals would lead to a potentially jarring contrast, but given the lyrical subject of conflict, the two distinct sounds at play add to the overall theme. There’s a tension stretched over the floating soundscape that works in a very effective manner, creating a sense of direction to an undeniably pretty track that would otherwise suffer from being a little too dreamy. I would have to say that I am left uncertain as to whether such a contrast would be sustained successfully through a whole album, however for this song it works small wonders. I would recommend this song with a definite thumbs-up to anyone who is looking for new blood in the realms of psychedelic rock with pop song sensibility.

Author: Katie H-Halinski