Gooey; not a term usually or easily personified by a song. However, upon first hearing the latest single from Glass Animals, the title feels instantly apt. The slinking, seductive tune forms the foundation for their latest EP of the same name, which will have you stuck on its rich textures, salacious vocals and quirky innuendo.
The Oxfordshire-based Glass Animals broke in 2012 with their debut EP Leaflings, first establishing their brand of lofty, eclectic, soulful, psychedelic synth-pop. Their 2013 single Psylla was the first to launch the quartet in Australia; the simmering grooves and sinuous falsettos leaving them hard to categorize yet easy to give in to. Having since signed to producer Paul Epworth’s (Florence & The Machine, Foster the People) new label, Gooey is the first taste of these sessions, and believe us, you are gonna “wanna know those peanut butter vibes”.
Frosty, cool, Brit musical goodness cannot be better expressed than in Glass Animals new EP, Gooey.
The lads recognise that their varying inspirations have left them with a “weird, psychedelic cocktail of electronic and organic sound”, and the title track epitomises this off-kilter mix of trip-hop and psych-pop. The oozing basslines are broken up by twitchy electronics, whilst the sultry falsetto vocals utter innuendo that is as abstract as it is sexual, with references to sandwich spreads and “woozy wombs”. The eccentric and imaginative use of instrumentation – as well as their worldwide buzz-band status – is akin to Alt-J.
Following is a collaboration with Brooklyn experimental hottie Tei Shi, Holiest, which evokes a similarly lustful mood, shaped by the interaction between the alluring vocalists atop fluidly layered electronics. The remaining three tracks on the release play around with the titular single, with Chester Watson’s rework adding rap verses over the top, whilst Gilligan Moss and Kingdom add their own takes on the instrumentation and rhythm, with Moss’ as the standout with more screwy alterations.
If this is the first you’ve heard of Glass Animals, you’re about to be devastated to learn that you’ve just missed their whirlwind visit to Australia earlier this month. They’re currently traversing the globe on a tour that also includes Europe and the US, melting crowds with organ-shaking renditions of their works to date, as well as previews of their upcoming debut album ZABA to be released in June. The album is slated to get “wild”, and with Gooey as an early indication, you best get ready to ride, Pooh Bear.
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