EP Review: Animal Byproducts – Attempts At Understanding

Straddling the Manchester / Yorkshire border, self-defined ‘soft’ punks ‘Animal Byproducts‘ return with their new EP ‘Attempts At Understanding‘. After recording their debut EP ‘The Big C‘ in their garage, the band had headed to Chairworks Studio in Leeds to record with Bob Cooper, but found themselves sitting on the tracks in the midst of lockdowns. “We’ve been quiet for a while before this, eh? We recorded the tunes you’ll hear on our E.P in 2019, but struggled to get the motivation to release them without the prospect of physical spaces to share them in.” explains vocalist / guitarist Joe Molloy. 

There have already been teasers to the EP in the one-two coupling of singles ‘Bin Day‘ and ‘There Are Dozens of Us!‘. The former swells in on warming brass and immaculate guitar strums, before sturdy drums and bass underpin the northernly-charmed melody. It breaks with the call-to-action roar of “Throw out shit men!“, charged with more of a driving tempo but keeping all pleasantness intact. There are layers to the musicality, and the band as a whole – in fact, reading the lyrics alongside opens up volumes of depth. There’s patriarchy and pacifism and pontifications about love running alongside genuinely intricate, but simplistically, joyously, buoyant tunes. A sprightly bass run, courtesy of  Richard Brindle introduces ‘There Are Dozens of Us!‘ – a song written by trumpeter/vocalist Josh Molloy around the subject of bisexual erasure, which he discusses in an article written for Shout Louder Zine. “Don’t tell me I’m confused when you’re the one that seems to be,” is the challenge laid down. Released as a single to coincide with Bi Visibilty Day, proceeds went to www.akt.org.uk – a charity offering accommodation and other support to young LGBTQ+ people who are homeless or living in hostile environments. The second half of the EP is comprised of two ‘new’ cuts. ‘Obscene‘ starts out a bit country-fuzz (including a ‘woo’, but not a ‘yee haw’) but matures into a thick, marching rhythm carried along by drummer Tet. “It’s about the ineffability of love, and how it can leave you feeling seen, but more aware of what can’t be seen.” says Molloy. It builds and surges in wonderful ways. Closer ‘Tavistock Square‘ sees the band at their most energetic, the buzz of guitars punctuated by parps and paaaaaarps. “It’s a square with lots of monuments and memorials somewhat blandly devoted to peace,” Molloy contemplates, “but violence permeates the square’s history.” Indeed, a plucking breakdown solemnly references the 7/7 bombings, allowing for a moment of quiet(er) reflection, but then it all ramps it up again for a stirring finale: “peace corresponds to attempts at understanding..“

Like provocative, intellectual punk themes delivered via meticulously tuneful numbers? ‘Attempts At Understanding‘ is available, name-your-price, through Bandcamp. The band also has Facebook and Twitter pages to follow.