‘Hot Bodies’ by Animal House (EP)

Animal House: take their unique Australian humour and blend it with a 60s garage rock sound

Animal House have swapped their native Australia for the UK and their vibrant, colourful guitar-pop music will make you dance

Now residing in the musical haven that is Brighton, Animal House have let loose this no-nonsense EP. Hot Bodies sees the band take their unique Australian humour and blend it with a 60s garage rock sound. The band have received praise from BBC Radio 1’s Annie Mac, and have supported The Wedding Present and Drenge, to name but two.

First track and latest single Coca-Cola is a light and refreshing sounding song. There’s a 60s psychedelic vibe that really shines through on the track, and the video adds to the aesthetics – it’s easy on the ears and very, very danceable. Mission accomplished. In fact, if The Coca-Cola Company are looking to do a rebrand, this would be the perfect song for the advertising campaign. The song has a simple formula of verse, chorus, verse, chorus, and the lyrics are few and repeated throughout, while the guitars stay firmly attached to the spine of the song. Some may consider the song too repetitive, but that is kind of the point. It’s a cheeky summer tune.

Title track Hot Bodies kicks in with as much funk as you’d expect from a Red Hot Chili Peppers’ song. The beat is quick and the vocals ferocious, while the guitar riffs are full of ice-cold swagger. Friend takes the pace down a notch, while retaining the effortless guitar riffs. Its tight bassline proudly walks through the track without a care in the world. And, finally, Heaven continues the rebranded 60s sounds, with its Kinks-style guitar sound and vocalist Will McConchie over-stretching his vowels in a Mick Jagger manner.

Animal House have all the hallmarks of becoming a game changer in this electronic world. Let’s hope they can continue to recycle sounds from the past and make them into a fresh product. It’s not the first time that an artist has looked backwards for inspiration, but these Brighton-based Aussies do it better than most.

Verdict: A 60s throw back, but not a gimmick

David Chrzanowski

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.