Dead Reynolds – Animal EP

By RingMaster Review on March 15, 2024 • ( 0 )

Since emerging in 2018, East Anglian rockers DEAD REYNOLDS have become a persistent attention grabber within the UK alt rock scene. Live and across a series of very often rather striking releases they have emerged as one notable proposition firmly standing aside of the crowd. Now the band has raised the ante with the March 15^th release of new EP Animal and a collection of tracks that are already demanding the hungriest attention. Some we have already embraced through our singles link-ups with radio pluggers PLUGGIN’ BABY but with their new companions, these only seem to bring a whole new sense of impact.

The band’s ever-growing and evolving sound is a fusion of alt rock and pop punk at its core but as the new EP shows it just as readily embraces a richer array of flavours in its creative tapestry and anthemic roars. Indeed, Animal is a highly uplifting proposal with every moment whether a flood of personal intimacy or blaze of experience observed support is a take up of emotional revelation and enlivening energy.

Exploring themes of mental health, loss, addiction and struggle, vocalist Rossco, guitarists Dom and Luke R, bassist Ben, and drummer Luke G cast an almost cyclonic wind of sound and emotion across the Animal EP, its tracks like Hurricane an esurient force of passion and creative drive. The song, after the EP opening sample shaped and orchestrally electronic woven Unite, rises in melodic contemplation to break into a senses soaking uproar. Embracing the emotion and passion in the encouragement to stand up in defiance cast in that first brief track, it calmly rises before sharing its inner turbulence within a crystalline electronic landscape. Guitars and rhythms, as the vocals and lyrics, weave a tempest of emotive and creative dispute yet one sprung with virulence and rock pop catchiness.

The track is thick involvement and captivation from its first breath, a united lure just as powerful across the release and particularly within next up Fly Away. The superb track springs its own mix of raw power and melodic radiance within another contagious contemplation, the song surging and settling with bold and dextrous enterprise to draw just as eager involvement from us listeners just as its predecessor and indeed the EP’s next-up title track do. Also the band’s new single, Animal gently brews but already there is a sense of unrest in its shadows. Those suggestive clouds break as the song hits its lively stroll but are simultaneously echoed in the appetite-igniting snarl of the bass and a rhythmic pulsation that nags as it incites. Again, tempestuous lies within, the song revealing its emotional turmoil as it drives forward with inescapable infectiousness, Rossco’s multi-dextrous tones sharing both aspects.

Wake Up follows and again aligns melodic intimacy with a stormy trespass, each further explored as the song ebbs and flows in emotional openness and creative exploration. Quite simply though, it is one seriously rousing rock song, an inspiriting courting of ears and physical and emotional involvement before the record ends with the just as galvanic and empowering Save Me. From its opening plea within a poetic melodic embrace through its emotionally and sonically raucous uproar, the track is a wind of rich persuasion and exhilaration. Interspersed with earnest musings within just as evocative asides, the track ignited like a fire in the ear giving one glorious end to one intoxicating encounter.

Previous releases suggested this would be another DEAD REYNOLDS offering to relish but Animal brings much more than expectations assumed, the EP the finest union with the band yet and what is and will remain one of the major highlights of the year.

The Animal EP is released March 15^th.