At first there was a sweeping round of curiosity as to WHO actually constituted the group behind the jackalope. But by now we know Miike Snow is comprised of producers Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg and Andrew Wyatt of Fires of Rome.
What I first noticed about the single “Animal” is the way one hears bits and pieces from other groups or other songs throughout. For instance, the introduction reminded me slightly of the opening of Grizzly Bear’s “Two Weeks” and the chorus sounds a little Michael Angelakos/Passion Pit. It’s almost as if “Animal” is a mash-up of all the current trends and hot indie bands of the moment. This could be a criticism or a compliment. In this case, it works very well for the group and is actually meant as praise. Having the ability to digest what’s taking place within genres and using it to your advantage is a great musical skill. And it’s no surprise that a bunch of producers got together to create a very sampled sound.
The concept of the video is simple, we all wear masks and we all play around with different faces, but it’s refreshing in its simplicity. It doesn’t want to be complicated. It seeks to finally be honest. And eye-catching.
