James Beastly – We Should Be Animals
Genre-defying songwriter Jim Paulos, AKA James Beastly, returns to buffaBLOG wielding a new sonic blade: his upcoming album, We Should Be Animals. As Beastly himself aptly puts it, he was once,
“… too indie to be punk and too punk to be indie.”
Nick Sessanna reviewed James Beastly’s previous album Junk Values here, giving it high praise. We’re happy to review his newest collection of songs – this time with a somewhat different approach. Overall more relaxed, the album ranges from buzzing shoegaze to dissociative, ambient folk. Moreover, We Should Be Animals is Beastly’s most ambitious attempt, starring key musicians like those from The Cast-Iron Canaries, Patrick Byers from Broken Social Scene, and Magdalena Żaczek of Smokey Robinson and Andrea Bocelli fame.
“Spring Violets,” the lead single from We Should Be Animals, queues with a disheartening, eerie synth pad. The quiet bellows of Paulos sit atop a decidedly indie electric guitar in a way that creates a palpable atmosphere. The drums alternate between the high and floor toms in a straightforward beat before the song transitions into an easygoing lo-fi interlude. Eventually, the song climaxes with a jittery guitar solo, more advanced drumming (that this drummer certainly appreciates), and a breathtaking finale of orchestral hits.
Song three, “The Defeatist,” differentiates itself from the pack with a touch of Beastly’s old Junk Values self. Huge fuzzed guitars kick off the song before it slows to a meander. A very peculiar and equally interesting lyric caught our ears: “I beat my skull, it’s nothing special / It’s just an awkward vessel.” Seeking to escape the boundary that is skin and the self within, the song bursts into a fiery guitar solo, which is certainly another album highlight. Similar themes can be found on the title-track, which takes aim at the perceived mistake of sentience. “We should be animals” coos in a folksy way, but it implies that our base desires and impulses are a bit more feral than we typically perceive. Maybe we are still animals, judging by the current state of the world.
Deeper into the latter half of the album is “White Dwarf.” I’m getting some early Tame Impala vibes from this one – something that’s expressed throughout the second half of We Should Be Animals, with it’s more psychedelic approach. The song morphs between indie rock, folk, and psychedelia while remaining cheerful and warm. The arpeggiated synthesizer is a diamond-in-the-rough, while the song’s end cues a unique, tremolo-ridden guitar that is emphasized with saxophone and crazy drumming.
Altogether, We Should Be Animals demonstrates the wide-ranging artistic mettle of Paulos. He fishes from the pools of several different genres, and produces intelligent and personality-filled music. While Junk Values was, per se, louder, We Should Be Animals showcases consistent indie rock, folk, and orchestral tunes that are hopefully getting truer and truer to Paulos’ beastly self. This album is FFO Iggy Pop, David Bowie, and even Gin Blossoms. We Should Be Animals comes out Friday, March 20th – so stay alert! Until then, you can familiarize yourself with James Beastly on Spotify, Apple Music, and SoundCloud.
Categorised in: Album Reviews, New Music
This post was written by Jake Sessanna