Animaux – Alaska (self-release)

Hailing from Melbourne, Animaux (an-EE-mo) is another prodigious musical child produced by Australia in recent years, conceived after the delivery of more established bands such as the psychedelic Tame Impala and the synth-poptastic Empire of the Sun. Though whilst the siblings explored the rather well-beaten path of rock and electro, it is distinctively more difficult to stylistically pinpoint the origins of the septet Animaux. With their booming brass section, they seem to freestyle comfortably on nostalgia, clasping firmly the reminiscent forms of jazz, funk and soul. However, in this day in age, to see a relatively young group pick up real instrumentals and thrive on delivering an exciting live set instead of hiding behind the trouser legs of synthetic production is a massive breath of courage and innovation.

Alaska, the next single from Animaux, to be launched in 11 October, is a departure from their usual boisterous exuberance of trumpet and sax affair, scaling down from the dizzy heights of youth to a subdued-yet-beautiful arrangement of languid guitar, downbeat drums, and breathy vocals, sketching the fragile scene of a cold blue dawn. When the chorus builds, the crescendo splashes a warm hue of optimism across the horizon, binding together the ebb and flow of emotions into the energy of an accomplished track, a track perhaps with the potential to set ablaze further recognition for the band.