This belated release is one that is lucky even to grace our ears at all. Earlier in the year Margot & The So & So’s frontman Richard Edwards was in dispute with record label Sony Epic over the track listing of the band’s second full length album. However, the issue seems to have been neutralised by the evident compromise of the situation, Margot & The Nuclear So & So’s are to release two albums this Tuesday (7/10/08). The one reviewed here, Not Animal is the tracklisting chosen by Sony Epic, being open to wider purchase as it will be available on CD, vinyl and digital formats. The other is Animal! the album featuring the songs chosen by the band, only available on vinyl and digitally. Both albums feature 5 of the same tracks and the band have asked specifically to fans that they listen to Animal! before the label’s choice.
So this album is one that seems to draw on many influences, the one that is most noticeable, especially in Edward’s voice, is Ryan Adams circa Love Is Hell. He uses the fragility of his voice to really emphasise some quite sinister lyrics, which it must be said are somewhat reminiscent of Cold War Kids, where themes such as alcohol addiction, and alienation are pretty rife throughout. This band can sometimes sound a little like a mere vehicle for Edward’s songs on its grander occasions like album opener ‘A Children’s Crusade on Acid’, and so it is in the more lo-fi, downbeat tracks that this album really comes into its own. The stand out tracks being ‘Broad Ripple Is Burning’ (a track that has been around for sometime as a demo) and ‘Holy Cow!’. The production on them is a little dustier giving the tracks a rawer edge about them. The lyrics from ‘Broad Ripple Is Burning’ ‘And I’m wasted, you can taste it/ Don’t look at me that way’ are particularly poignant and sound really impressive on this record.
This is an album that does have its inconsistencies but also has some excellent stand alone tracks and is definitely worthy of a listen. I also highly recommend the Daytrotter session by the band, which should be available on iTunes which features a fantastic liver version of ‘Broad Ripple Is Burning.
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