There is something magical in the Australian land and water which gives rise to bands like Karnivool, Caligula’s Horse, Plini, and now Nocturnal Animals. Long live the power trio!!! They never fail to impress.
Paint A Picture is the latest debut EP release by the Adelaide/Tarndanya alternative progressive punk band Nocturnal Animals. The tonal color palette of the covert art is striking. Much like the music, it makes a statement with its fearless innovation and raw expression. At the heart of the record is stellar musicianship and great use of dynamics.
The EP commences with All My Cares which begins with a catchy heavy sounding riff. The drums also sound big and tight here. Around the two minute mark, we hear a riff that would be found on some heavy grunge records. However, the song remains in the hook groove and catchy rock composition zone. The second track King Of Dolphina has a tsunami wave life riff of grunge guitars. Silence with bass and vocals and toms drums. Building up momentum before the chorus with proper use of stops and silences. Using some great tom playing as a single musical element. Great use of a single line of vocals phrases. The third song is A Simple Fuck You. Again great use of silence before a catchy beat and riff some in. You can’t help but tap your feet here. The song ends in something of a breakdown before concluding the song with a chorus.
The fourth track is Tyler’s Song with its light crunchy guitar riff and noises of people speaking. Then erupting into another magical riff. Quieting down into the vocals and a clean guitar comping. There is a good use of vocal choral harmonies here. It ends in a vocal rasp. Passive Tone is the fifth song. It begins with acoustic guitar playing and vocals about a relationship ending and shows the band’s versatility. The final song is Picturesque. Beautiful use of synths to create a beautiful aura. When the drums kick in, lord is it sweet with a nice memorable melody in the middle section. At the 2.40 mark, what a breakdown! Out of this world. The song ends in a maze of beautiful shoegaze sounds.
The decision to make the guitars and overall sound heavy ensure the album sounds fresh. The record could be best described as magenta pop punk with the right amounts of dark tar. Paint A Picture is an amazingly mastered and mixed album. There are no fancy polyrhythms and stuff, just a masterclass in tight rock songwriting and a great drum tone that sounds full with a snare and kick sound to die for. It is a true joy listening to the album
Nocturnal Animals could be described as Smashing Pumpkins and Bring Me The Horizon with a pop punk flavour. However, that would be unfair since the band makes a mark like none other and sounds fresh as hell! Do not miss this record!
We get to talk to the geniuses here!
1. The EP is the definition of the proper use of dynamics and the use of silence/stops for carrying the song forward. How do you see dynamics while composing music?
Very cool question firstly! Thank you for taking a deep dive into the craft behind the songs. Dynamics are massive, playing with the ability to create tension or release it are some of the most powerful tools in a band’s songwriting. We look to some of our heroes like Biffy Clyro or Bring Me The Horizon and they are all masters of this.
2. That sweet tone especially of the heavy fuzzy guitars and drums tone. Tell me all about your gear!
We wanted to capture our live sound whilst adjusting to a studio setting, we made sure to bring all of our gear into the studio and then mix that with what was already in house. The guitar sounds are really what we use live besides some of the tracks being done with an Orange amp instead of our usual Marshall. The drums; we really made sure to make lush, getting our hands on a Ludwig Black Beauty snare to bring a beautiful balance of power and clarity.
3. Simple question. How do you do your songwriting songs? More specifically, how was each song written in this album?
The songs more or less came as a batch on the acoustic guitar, we then jammed on them in the practice room as the full band. Fuzz blasting, drums smashing and screams. We then for the first time demo’d all of the songs, playing with ideas before getting into the studio, this led to us being confident when we came to the studio and not wasting time.
4. And of course, the majestic mix, balancing the heavy, the fuzzy, the soft, and the ethereal. What was that mixing, post recording process like?
One word ‘JNETZ’. Jarred Nettle recorded, mixed and mastered ‘Paint A Picture’. He is Australia’s best producer, everyone is about to find that out. He has worked with some of Australia’s best up and coming acts, Teenage Joans, TOWNS and of course now Nocturnal Animals.
5. How do you approach arrangement, I can hear a lot of great use of other production elements in the record.
We approach arrangement in the way we do the use of dynamics, creating tension or relieving it. The goal is to arrange the song in a way that makes the listen, flow with emotion.
6. I love the moment around the 2.40 mark in the final track Picturesque. What a perfect blend of screams, soft synths, and Picturesque. What a perfect blend of screams, soft synths, and guitars. Blissful. Nothing this is just a question about this song and this moment in the song.
Picturesque is our favourite track on the EP, it’s the accumulation of all the emotion that the journey of ‘Paint A Picture’ is. The EP tells a story, it’s thematic in its emotion leading to an explosion of realization that you can put on a brave face but the pain is still there and you can’t get rid of it by partying and flipping people off. All those things feel great but are bandaids to a deeper issue which can’t be left unaddressed.
7. What is the story behind the face paint and your live performance philosophy?
The skeleton face paint, which people can see on our instagram @_nocturnalanimals_ is part of the identity of the band. Nocturnal Animals formed when we were all as individuals in a dark place, we had all experienced bad break ups and the band became a way to release the pain. We wanted a visual that represented the music, we wanted to talk about relationships, be that a romantic one, the one with friends, parents or co-workers and the skeleton make up is the visual representation of a relationship breaking you down to your bare bones, there is nothing to hide, it’s you at the most real.
The live performance philosophy is simply play your hardest, scream your loudest, leave it all out there for the audience. Performing is a cathartic experience, we want the audience to feel it how we do.
8. How do you see your genesis, influences, and journey so far in retrospect?
We are the best band in the world that you don’t know of. Nocturnal Animals are the band to watch, listen to and love. It’s our time and we are ready. Listen to us and hear for yourself.
Listen to this insane record here!
Check out our playlists here!
Discovered via http://musosoup.com
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