Animal House - Hot Bodies EP
- Written by Carris Boast
Strutting through the Brighton music scene, Australian natives Animal House will have you moving and grooving to their upbeat garage pop sound. From gaining significant acclaim for their debut EP Sorry, they're back with more percussion, rhythm, energy and a splash of cheeky charm on their latest EP Hot Bodies.
Instantly infectious, Animal House's sound provides the soundtrack to your perfect summer staycation. Their indie pop is not quite Copacabana, nor gritty England, but sits more in the middle, like a warm August night spent round your mates house with a few cold ones in the fridge.
Sticking with this theme, it's easy to picture the moments when this chaotically charming EP would come in handy;
It’s 9 o’clock, the sun is setting, lighting the sky in a burnt orange colour, and you've gone from being at risk of a t-shirt tan to snuggling up to the one with nice eyes. You know, that one you kind of fancy because they lent you a tenner to get chips on the way home that one time. In the background ‘Friend’ sets the scene for tonight’s dance with romance. You squeeze yourself in between the one with nice eyes and the edge of a futon, brought out from the hole your mate calls a living room. You take a sip from your can and imitating the same raspy vocals, you turn and whisper: “If you stay all night, I’ll be there” and in that moment, with the help from Animal House, they’re yours - for now anyway.
One ‘Coca Cola’ cowbell at a time, your mate, who's not really your mate, just tipped his last can of larger into the BBQ in a smoky attempt to put it out. As well as spending the rest of the night knowing he’s going to be hounding you for more beer before he finds a bottle of port you forgot about - you’re kind of glad he's made such a mess. The sweet combination of murky charcoal smell and the rowdy joy that's booming from the speakers lets you know the festival season is edging closer.
Everyone’s a bit drunk and tired because they started at three o clock. Some denim jacket lover takes over the speaker and with a click, click, tap, ‘Hot Bodies’ running drum beat and hip-swerving guitar riffs lift the mood with its dusty rock & roll sound. Think circa Kings of Leon's Youth and Young Manhood, yet riddled with pop rhythms and catchy lyrics.
The twirling, shoulder rolling and body shaking continues into the evening with ‘Heaven’, bringing everyone into an awkward, magic circle. The ladies you invited pair off occasionally for a quick spurt of dirty dancing before laughing, tilting their head towards the speaker and singing: “I’d go to heaven for that boy”. And why would you not? It’s confidently cool, both sweet and sour in taste and sound. It's full of personality and all you could ever need to warm your soul and get you grooving on a dusky summer night.
Hot Bodies is available via Amazon.