Music Review: A Band for the Weirdos

Looking for that extra something to add to your playlist? Your search is over. British indie-rock band, Glass Animals, has a sound for all alternative music tastes.

Led by singer, songwriter and producer Dave Bayley, along with childhood friends Joe Seaward, Ed Irwin-Singer and Drew MacFarlen, Glass Animals has hit the top charts on Billboard in the United States.

According to All Music, the skilled genre-mashers bring synth pop, indie, R&B and hip-hop together in innovative and inviting ways. The band’s albums include a combination of hypnotic beats, rippling guitars and aquatic synths, resulting in slightly alien yet alluring tracks, like the certified platinum single “Gooey.”

“I am a big fan of indie and rock music. Though I wouldn’t consider Glass Animals to be stuck to those specific genres. I believe that all their albums and all their songs pull pieces from different genres like techno. This is what makes them so interesting to listen to. You never know what king of sound you’re going to hear next,” said junior Nick Amato.

According to All Music, Glass Animals was formed in 2010 and chose their name by selecting random words in the dictionary. Bayley began writing songs on his computer while attending King’s College and sharing them with his friend. It wasn’t long until they all started playing together.

“The first song I listened to by Glass Animals was freshman year. I wasn’t familiar with the band though I remember one of their song’s ‘blowing up’ on my TikTok feed. ‘Take a Slice’ was the first song I listened to by the band, and I’ve been a fan of them ever since,” said junior Alaina DeRose.  

Their album “ZABA” arrived in June of 2014, inspired by William Steig’s book “The Zabajaba Jungle.” According to All Music, the album reached No. 12 on Australia’s ARIA chart and eventually topped Billboard’s Alternative New Artists Chart in the U.S. a year after its release. The album and the band’s growing popularity led to a collaboration with Joey Bada$$ in the Oct. 2015 single, “Lose Control.”

In Aug. 2020, the band released their studio album “Dreamland,” introducing more autobiographical song writing to Glass Animal’s lively sound. According to the Governors Ball Music Festival website, the band marked their first Top  debut on Billboard’s Top 200, while their global smash hit, “Heat Waves,” amassed millions of streams to date, went Double Platinum in the U.S., gave the band their first No. 1 on the U.S. Alternative Radio Chart and hit Top Five on the Spotify Global Chart.

“You most likely would know the song if you heard it. The beat, the whole album frankly, has a very chill tone that falls into the indie alternative category, though the band continues to sneak in very different sounds into all their songs. This is one thing that makes them so unique,” said junior Evan Cormier.  

The band has upcoming shows in the U.K. but will be in the States come June for The Governors Ball Music Festival at Citi Field. Glass Animals continues to redefine what alternative can be. Recently, the band released their new single “I Don’t Wanna Talk (I Just Wanna Dance),” evidently taking over airwaves as fans celebrate their return to live shows. According to Forbes, skyrocketing to the forefront of popular culture, the band has delivered performances on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” “Ellen,” “Good Morning America” and “The Late Late Show with James Cordon.”

Their music isn’t the only thing that sets them apart from other groups. Their music videos are just as weird as you would expect. Taking over sound and stage, Glass Animals is a band you don’t want to miss out on.  

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