It’s not often that the phrase “plants and animals” replaces images of pretty flowers and fuzzy woodland creatures with guitar riffs and drum sets.
Today, the alternative band Plants and Animals released “The End of That” on Secret City Records. Hailing from Montreal, Canada, the group sounds like a mix of Frightened Rabbit and Grizzly Bear with a dash of Bob Dylan-esque folk. Having played together for 10 years, the band’s history is sprinkled with track appearances on popular television shows such as “Chuck” and a discography that boasts three albums and two EPs.
The album starts out smoothly with “Before,” opening with a solo acoustic guitar before vocalist Warren Spicer’s throaty voice joins in, singing “Love me now and leave me in the Spring / The sun don’t come to change everything / What looked good in the winter don’t look good no more / Forget about me and everything that came before.”
The lyrics set the stage for the rest of “The End of That,” suggesting that Plants and Animals has graduated to a more mature sound on this album than that of their first two. The track combines heartfelt lyrics with soothing instrumentals, and it may be the best song on the album.
On the title track, “The End of That,” Spicer sings about trying cocaine, thinking of things he doesn’t want to be and women with “pepper-grinder hips.” The song steps up the album’s tempo, fusing harmonies and rifts that give the song a more classic rock vibe ““ ironically happy as it tells listeners of things that have ended.
“Lightshow” is reminiscent of Arcade Fire’s early work ““ perhaps a nod to Sarah Neufeld of Arcade Fire, fellow Montreal native who was featured on Plants and Animals’ debut album, “Parc Avenue.” It is a fun track with plenty of guitar solos and simple lyrics that are easy to sing along with.
Plants and Animals shows its ability to mix a laid-back attitude with powerful music on “Crisis!” as the band members spend the first 20 seconds of the song simply talking to one another. Spicer proceeds to sing starkly about all of his friends either “getting married or breaking up.” Acoustically, the song is far from a crisis, making its listener want to stand up and dance to its catchy lyrics. A guitar solo followed by Spicer’s gravelly vocals solidify the song as something listeners can get lost in.
“HC” scales the intensity back, reviving the acoustic feel found in the opening track in a less-than-a-minute song. It serves as a reprieve between the intensity of “Crisis” and “Why & Why,” speaking mostly of lonely days and not much else.
On “Why & Why,” Spicer laments an inability to get over a beautiful girl in a dream, expressing this frustration with some amped-up vocals and guitar riffs. “Let it go,” Spicer cries over and over again, layering a husky voice over some impressive instrumentals.
“Control Me” feels a bit uninspired, as the majority of the song simply repeats its title. An electric guitar starts the track off on a flat note, setting a tone for the rest of the track. While Spicer maintains his strong, gravelly voice, the song eventually becomes boring.
“No Idea” is the second song on the album to express a fear of commitment in the wake of all of one’s friends getting married. On its website, Plants and Animals describes “The End of That” as an album that defines a person in their 20s ““ confident in a way that only young people can be, yet struggling to figure out what he/she wants. “No Idea” delves into these issues. Spicer sings with feeling, saying, “The winter’s got a way of throwing punches / It’s turning black and blue.” A piano appears during the chorus, and its repetitive chords drive home the somber vibe of the track.
“The End of That” seems to be a reconciling of the happiness and stress caused by the transition from adolescence to adulthood. The tracks alternate from effusive to reflective, with Spicer’s gravelly vocals tying them all together, giving the album a refined, post-classic feel that is surprisingly satisfying.
Despite its name, Plants and Animals’ sound is far from animalistic. While a few of the songs become muddled ““ “2010” and “Runaways” blend together ““ the majority of the tracks stand on their own as successful pieces of music.
Email Christianson at lchristianson@media.ucla.edu