Following 2012's The End of That, Plants and Animals decided to take a much-needed hiatus, as the three-piece focused on spending time with their respective families. With the release of their fourth full-length, Waltzed in From the Rumbling, the Montreal band seemed to have profited benefitted plenty from the four-year break, coming off much more relaxed, inspired, self-assured and, most importantly, collaborative.
On their past two releases, Plants and Animals seemed to be either tripping over one another with forced musical enthusiasm or relying far too much on shapeless jams and grooves, but on Waltzed in From the Rumbling, tracks like the sweeping, beautiful "No Worries Gonna Find Us," the Kid-A-esque "All of the Time" and tropical-leaning "Off the Water" sound like the work of a tight, focused ensemble. Much of Waltzed in From the Rumbling's success lies in Plants and Animals' ability to look both inside and outside of their musical sphere, incorporating strings, choir vocals and found sounds while possessing the insight and musical acuity to make it all feel organic.
Recorded over a lengthy period of time, many of the lyrics were made up on the spot, mistakes were left in and many ideas were generated quickly, which explains why Waltzed in From the Rumbling stands as the band's most adventurous album. Musicians often become most fascinating when they strip away all pretension, and that's exactly what Plants and Animals have done here.
(Secret City Records)On their past two releases, Plants and Animals seemed to be either tripping over one another with forced musical enthusiasm or relying far too much on shapeless jams and grooves, but on Waltzed in From the Rumbling, tracks like the sweeping, beautiful "No Worries Gonna Find Us," the Kid-A-esque "All of the Time" and tropical-leaning "Off the Water" sound like the work of a tight, focused ensemble. Much of Waltzed in From the Rumbling's success lies in Plants and Animals' ability to look both inside and outside of their musical sphere, incorporating strings, choir vocals and found sounds while possessing the insight and musical acuity to make it all feel organic.
Recorded over a lengthy period of time, many of the lyrics were made up on the spot, mistakes were left in and many ideas were generated quickly, which explains why Waltzed in From the Rumbling stands as the band's most adventurous album. Musicians often become most fascinating when they strip away all pretension, and that's exactly what Plants and Animals have done here.