Finally, Glass Animals has released their second synthetic delight on renowned British producer, Paul Epworth’s new label, Wolf Tone. If you are not familiar, the Oxford natives released their first EP, Leaflings, in September of last year via Kaya Kaya Records, and proved themselves to be masters of their craft. Since that time, we have heard relatively little from them. They released their Black Mambo/Exxus double A-side EP on Wolf Tone back in May and just as its predecessor, was a shadowy and masterful treat.
The quartets newest track, “Psylla” packs all the dark and minimalist glamor that we’ve grown to expect. A simple almost tribal drum track opens the track. A spacey effect that is reminiscent of being underwater subtly and softly fills in the rest of the sonic space. With the introduction of the soulful vocal harmony, you’ll be hooked.
Per usual, this track is pieced together with well placed effects and intricate counter melodies, yet it comes across in most places as pleasantly simple. In this song, as well as other standout tracks of theirs (such as Cocoa Hooves), the thing that is so captivating is the narrative aspect. Like characters, different elements are slowly introduced into the song one by one and then allowed to co-mingle. There is a build up of action as they all begin to interact and then, suddenly, the song is pared down to a simple vocal harmony. The sound is built back up and is, in multiple places throughout, brought back down to bare bones yet again. “Psylla” is perhaps their most complete and tidy track to date. Luckily for us, this track is just a teaser from their upcoming Psylla EP, which is set to be released on November 5th.