Toronto’s Public Animal and Calgary’s Napalmpom both bathe in the celebratory power and timelessness of rawk, so it makes total sense that they’d each take a side on an impassioned, riff-oriented split 12-inch. Beyond the scuzzy guitars and sonic similarities within the production, their spirited sense of abandonment and joy makes this a seamless listen.
As a songwriter/producer who lives and breathes music, Public Animal’s Ian Blurton knows that the secret to any successful band is the drummer. From Change of Heart through to C’mon, he’s landed fantastic, distinctive drummers, and Ryan Gassi in Public Animal is no exception. The tuneful rage in Blurton’s singing voice is matched by Caitlin Dacey’s vocals and keyboards, and Gassi and bassist Eric Larock propel their sour ‘n’ sweet dynamic for a psych-tinged blast.
Less nuanced, Napalmpom unapologetically conjure familiar heavy rock tropes and tones on their two originals (plus Jr. Gone Wild’s Cosmos), with PJ Lavergne screaming at and about women who make him cry. Much like Danko Jones, the band kneels at the altar of AC/DC, Thin Lizzy and other in-your-face rockers to channel their own power.
Top track: Public Animal’s Horizon’s Gone
Public Animal and Napalmpom play the Silver Dollar Sunday (August 30).
