By Clara Tsac
St. Paul indie rock band Filthy Animals must’ve had a hell of a time making their newest album, Music House. From beginning to end, the energy is infectiously positive without being cloying, bringing it back to the roots of rock band music- a couple friends jamming out in a garage. A foot-tapping swirl of funky jam sessions and bluesy guitar riffs, the album ranges from old-school rock n’ roll throw backs to groovy delta rhythms.
The album’s opener, “This Is a City,” sets the tone for the rest of the album: Nostalgic lyrics, guitar and drum riffs, the whole shebang of James Brown plus Bob Dylan. In grand tradition, freestyles are incorporated into tracks like “What You Call Love.” They take it more rock in “Time May Try,” building intensity with twanging electric slides and heavy snares. At times reminiscent of 60’s pop/rock, tracks like “Be The One” are vaguely Beatles plus some soul.
For all its bubbling energy, Music House closes on a vulnerable note with a slow, bluesy ballad that unspokenly voices sentiments of the last man at a bar during closing time. Although the chorus chords are occasionally repetitive, the sheer vitality of the band keeps the album fresh. Whatever else the album is, it sounds like a good time.
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