Ava Cadenhead |
For indie-electronic band Glass Animals’ ambitious sophomore record, they found their inspiration from an unexpected source – total strangers. Each song on the quirky How To Be A Human Being is told from the perspective of one of these strangers that they encountered whilst on the road, for example, fans and taxi drivers. The result is complicated yet extremely intriguing; from the tropical percussions of Life Itself, to the video game loops featured in Season 2 Episode 3.
Each song is based on a fictional character created from these strangers, as shown in the album artwork featuring 11 different people, each representing one of the 11 tracks on the LP, looking like a dysfunctional family portrait. Each lyric is based on the sadness and joy of strangers’ tales, the good, the bad, the ugly are all found within this new masterpiece. The band will not give any details of the true meanings behind any of their lyrics, wanting fans to decipher for themselves.
How To Be A Human Being’s truly bonkers lyrics accompanied by whacky synth and guitar parts reveal a new side to Glass Animals, whilst simultaneously sticking to their signature psychedelic, hypnotic style. In tracks such as Mama’s Gun, we hear fragments of the band’s misty, hazy ways from their 2014 debut Zaba. Meanwhile, the jaggy, hip-hop infused Cane Shuga and the 36-second entirely spoken rant about the over-commercialisation of food, [Premade Sandwiches], leads us to believe that the quartet have plenty more to keep us guessing.
Glass Animals have definitely showcased their best work in this wonderful follow up album, each listen to this incredible record reveals more meaning behind the lyrics and the album as a whole. How To Be A Human Being is pure brilliance; you’ll enjoy more and feel more each time you hit play.
