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Workshy

by Animals That Swim

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chance666
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chance666 Brilliant stuff. Workshy is classic and the new material is awesome. This band is a rare gem. Favorite track: Madame Yevonde.
Jacob Grindal
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Jacob Grindal This album is so good. A completely unheralded classic!! Favorite track: Pink Carnations.
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1.
2.
Smooth Steps 03:24
3.
Roy 04:03
4.
5.
St Francis 04:14
6.
7.
King Beer 04:10
8.
Barney 03:17
9.
10.
11.
Vic 01:50
12.
Silent Film 02:44
13.
Sway With Me 02:12
14.
City Drift 03:14
15.
16.
Dark Train 03:19
17.
Velvetine 03:05
18.
Hidden Stars 03:15
19.
20.
21.
22.
Impossible 03:00

about

Formed in London in 1989, Animals That Swim were originally a duo made up of brothers Hugo Barker and Hank Starrs. They were later joined by their other brother Al Barker as well as Del Crabtree, who was originally the band’s bassist but swapped to the trumpet soon after joining.

On Workshy, look at the back cover and you'd be forgiven for thinking this is fairly obvious indie rock from the early '90s. With the collage of photos from various sources (underground comics, random snapshots, bits of videos and TV broadcasts) and the handwritten song list, if anything, it resembles the artwork on Trumans Water albums (and indeed, Animals were English labelmates with that fine collective). Give it a listen, however, and there's something else going on here -- something just that much more elegant without being precious, something more nakedly emotional without being emo. The opening track, "How to Make a Chandelier," goes through about three tempo changes instead of math rock's vocals; the swaying punch feels more akin to a roughed-up Tindersticks or a gently arty Factory band from the early '80s. Similarly, the understated drive of "Smooth Steps," with a piano as prominent as the guitar chug, and the Orbison-tribute "Roy," with a spoken-sung verse descended from Lou Reed and Tom Waits, but accented in U.K. terms with more of a slightly bemused croon, defeat expectations. If connections are to be made, perhaps the contemporaneous Irish band Whipping Boy with less guitar heroics could be suggested, or a hint of Leonard Cohen with a softer touch but without any less of the questioning or pondering. The trumpet is bold throughout the album, further accentuating ATS's individuality in a rock world that had gone Nirvana-mad on the one hand and incipiently Britpop on the other. Some songs have a cryptic, strange violence to them, such as "St. Francis," while others, such as the beautiful and blue "King Beer," combine feeling with wry wit (as when a character asks the song's narrator "Didn't you get that from some old hippie song?") as an organ adds to the late-night feeling.

credits

released September 1, 1994

All songs written and performed by Animals That Swim

Except: Susie’s Friends by H. Barker & D. Law and

Sway With Me: music by Animals That Swim & lyrics by Charles Bukowski




(p) 2015 One Little Indian Records
© 2015 One Little Indian Records


The copyright in this sound recording is owned by
One Little Indian Records.
All Rights reserved. Reproduction, copying, hiring lending, public performance and broadcasting prohibited.

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Animals That Swim London, UK

Formed in London in 1989, Animals That Swim were originally a duo made up of brothers Hugo Barker and Hank Starrs. They were later joined by their other brother Al Barker as well as Del Crabtree. They released their debut single ‘King Beer’ in 1992 before signing to OLI imprint Elemental Music in 1994, on which they released 2 albums. ... more

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