"We explode!" sings Steven Blake, vocalist and guitarist of Animal Sun, during the opening track entitled "Explode" on the band's first EP Beginnings. Formed in 2015, the band created by Blake and his brother William Alton (who plays percussion) have grown into something beautiful by combining unique sounds of pop, alternative, and indie music. The group began making rough cuts with Virginia Beach legend Robert Ulsh during 2017, and created their first EP with Grammy award winning producer Robert Margouleff, along with his partner Aaron "Zeus" Zepeda, at the end of July this year.
The EP started with "Explode" which featured some light guitarwork and beautiful vocals by Blake. The track then transitioned into a chorus that could lighten up a room by the way each instrument was utilized and how Blake's voice brought everything together. This song was an excellent introduction to the band as well as the EP. This track was so theatrical, I wouldn't be surprised if Disney picked it up to use it in Frozen 2 soundtrack.
Moving forward, the second track "Soul on Fire" was one of my favorite songs because it utilized more of an alternative style of music, whereas the previous tune was more ostentatious. This song was outstanding because I felt that the catchy chorus, combined with the backing vocals used at two and half minutes in, allowed the song to reach its full potential. There isn't anything about this song that I didn't like, and lyrics like, "So you tell yourself again/It will be worth it in the end" show that Blake will continue to pursue what makes him happy. Essentially setting his soul on fire in the process, and hopefully yours as well.
The third song "Girl in Blue" was the most popular tune on this EP, and also Animal Sun's debut track. "Girl in Blue" received so much praise because it allowed the band to try and succeed at appealing to a more "poppy" audience. The song began with an upbeat melody that sounded like you were racing through the city. After a while, the music transitioned into a catchy chorus "She screams tonight I wanna be like you/Dancing in the light to forget the abuse/Lost in the crowd no one will ever know/The color blue is all alone" that immediately grabbed the listener's attention. Over the three-minute run time of the song, each verse got progressively louder and more fun. Blake's voice in accompaniment with Alton's drums generate a need to get up and dance, and to me that spoke volumes.
The final song "Homesick" was the slowest moving song on this EP due to the light sounding acoustic guitar, along with the quiet repetitive kick of Alton's drum. With a runtime of four minutes and 25 seconds, this song was also the longest on Beginnings. As the track proceeded into the chorus, the tone and volume lifted, and Blake defiantly sang, "Im not going/Not going home." The lyrics in this song reflected being on ones own, and "burning bright" despite being in new surroundings. Essentially relying on oneself and not "going home" despite feeling homesick.
After a recent interview I had with Blake, Margouleff, and Zepeda via FaceTime, I learned that a lot of effort and emotion had gone into the making of each song, and that Animal Sun definitely intends on releasing more music in the future. The band also plans on releasing a music video to accompany the song "Girl in Blue". After speaking with the group, Zepeda told me that the artwork for the Beginnings EP was created by using his Samsung phone. "I just started using my phone to shoot random pictures of Steven lighting a match" Zepeda recalled. "Soon it became the artwork for the EP."
Overall, I was super impressed by this fun EP and it received an 8.5 out of 10 as a result. I would definitely buy this EP on vinyl if it were ever pressed, and I highly recommend listening to this band if you enjoy having a good time. You can check out Animal Sun on tour in California this Fall, dates include; October 26th at the Peppermint Club, November 18th at TR!P, and November 24th at El Cid.
