- Artists:
- This Town Needs Guns »
- Label:
- Big Scary Monsters »
Following last year's well received split with Cats And Cats And Cats, Oxford math-rock combo This Town Needs Guns deliver their debut album as a conceptual piece; each track named after a different species of mammal. There's no denying that this band displays a high level of mastery of their instruments throughout Animals. Guitarist Tim Collis' cascades of chiming notes are the defining feature of the record, as he leads the rhythm section through a labyrinth of time changes.
But it's their devotion to musicianship that constantly threatens to sink this particular ark and its hapless, furry occupants. It can't be easy to confine this amount of technicality within traditional song structures, and This Town Need Guns are only occasionally successful; Chris Collis' jazz-influenced drum virtuosity has the tendency to distract attention from, rather than add to, the overall melee, whilst one can feel only pity for singer Stuart Smith, who is left with the unenviable task of fitting his vocal parts to the overwhelming deluge of notes. He puts in a valiant effort, but his likeable, understated voice is largely overwhelmed by his bandmates' incessant noodling.
Where some restraint is shown, as on the relatively staid 'Lemur' and soporific closer 'Zebra', sparks of brilliance are evident. Instrumental 'Elk' is also a welcome refrain from the surrounding bustle, with a pleasantly stripped back trumpet-and-guitar discourse. Overall, then, Animals marks out a cerebral band with a lot of ideas up its sleeve and even if they haven't quite found a way to effectively tie them all together, their potential for grander statements is clear to see.
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This Town Needs Guns
This is pretty much what I was saying to my friend the other day
sometimes when I hear their songs I just want them to stop widdling for a minute.
Mind you, at least it's different. You have to give them that.
5 out of 10?
That's a bit harsh! I personally think that the more complex songs are where they really shine. Baboon and Pig in particular are awesome. I think you're missing the point with Elk and Zebra, they're good in the context of an album but aren't really what the band are about in my opinion.
Still, each to their own!
how do i reply to the article?
i have heard it once, i thought it was great but wanted the widdle to cease a bit i guess, i'd say 5 is a bit harsh considering some of the marks on this site.
not really
i like them lots, but i wouldnt say its 'different'.
5! :(
It's loads better than a freakin 5... I love the noodeling, intricuit instrumentation it adds some life and spark to it all. Makes it more interesting than your regular indie gubbins. Plus I think they get the ballance just right, its still really catchy and accessable but keeps the badass skillfull stuff. It's a wicked album and they are so good live.
well its a different
compared to shite like tropics - why did ttng play first last night why?
^ I don't get why this is a 5
If it was like a mental Mars Volta style mess of instruments then I'd understand, but it's not at all, I don't think it's too 'busy' and it gels pretty well, it's got to be a 7 at least. Well done for pretty much just lowering yourselves to the level of the NME though.
How do you
define something as different? I'm just interested. Tropics went on after TTNGs because they won a competition in Kerrang!
i'd probably give it a 3
save the wanking for the bedroom like
It's definitely better than a 5!
not listened to it that much since I got it but i've really enjoyed it every time I have and although it may not be massively original (Is that even possible now?) it sounds brilliant. The technical instrumentation makes a change from a lot of the (Admittedly very good) lofi inspired stuff which is being loved around DiS right now.
decent song writers!
5/10 is bollocks!
haha
please.
You heard my cry
this website dishes out 8s and 9s like candy but give this 5??!?!
Get thee journalism sorted.
point taken
but 5's pretty stingy. more like a 6/7
Chops, good voice, interesting songs
And you give it a 5.
Did they forget to ply you with free liquor or something?
hmm. interesting
i can see where you're coming from. but its still pretty good for what it is.. songs like dog and rabbit (my two favourite) make this higher than a five i think..
my only concern is where can this band really go from here? its pretty much just more of the same since their e.p. dont get me wrong i really like it, but i think the 'incessant noodling' will start to grate as i listen more and more.
its a shame there arnt more moments like zebra to break it up a bit. still. a damn good listen and a band i definately want to see, if not just to witness all the noodling first hand.
Sometimes
the score appears and sometimes I can't see it! Sort it out DiS!
I'm sorry but he is completly right
Every song sounds exactly the same. The vocals are really good though and its brilliantly produced sound-wise.
omg.
i'm never coming on this website again.
Tropics
are great. Donut!
had a listen
I agree with the review. Flash - but it interrupts the songs. And the guitars are too fucking loud.
I've seen these guys live
a few times in the last year and they've been consistently really good, definitely one of the best bands in the UK at the moment. I'd be deeply surprised if this album is only worthy of a 5/10 based on the songs I've heard them play live, unless the production is really fucked or something.
btw
just to reiterate what has been said above, in terms of content and design this site has declined massively in the past month or so.
Only listened to it once
I can see what this review is getting at, about the slightly needless noodeling leading to some almost indistinguishable songs.
But there are enough good songs on there to make at least a 7 surely? It's decent but flawed. And it's most certaintly not an average album as the 5 makes it seem!
Exactly
And all the 'great' songs on this album, of which there are at least a few, surely make up for the flaws as most people have said. Hence why this score is completely ridiculous.
having heard it again now
i really think the singing is the main thing i dislike. it's just not strong enough to flow. it sounds like an afterthought rather than being written together with the music. i know they can do better, and live they are amazing
Listened to it a few times and I've realised
that the album is very frustrating at times. If they just stripped back their music slightly at times, then it would be so much better. Still deserves a 6/7 in my opinion as it's definately on the good side of 'average'.
this has really grown into a solid 8 for me
I listen to it loads more than I thought it would and now I just cant stop.
It's only problem in my opinion is a slight lack in variety but honestly the complex guitar doesnt need stripping back in my opinion.
They still sound like....
Every Tim Kinsella band. Anyone who likes this should listen to Owls and American Football amongst his other earlier bands.
I'm just not sure there is enough that they add to this established sound to give them much credit. I want to like them, but they are so unbelievably similar and I can't get past this.
unfortunately
this review is absolutely spot on
?
tim kinsella was never in american football. stop pretending you know what you're talking about.
this album sucks.
=
Oops. Mike then.
Well, I clearly was pretending. They sound nothing like those bands. You're spot-on.
I love this place.
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