Plastic Animals - A Dark Spring

At some point in our lives we are all guilty of prentending to be inside a movie, perhaps as we are riding the bus and we let our head rest against the window, as we stare blankly outside in melodramatic fashion. In such occasions the only thing that would be missing is the music to give it that little extra bit of drama, but it can’t be just any sort of music.

Plastic Animals should definitely be able to help. This Edinburgh trio formed by Mario Cruzado, James Lynch and Dave Wark have recently released their debut EP, despite having been together since 2006. A Dark Spring is a box filled with melancholic, early-90’s shoegazing-esque, dark-pop rock, or whatever you might want to call it. Distorted guitars surf along waves of ambient patterns, building heavily atmospheric tracks with more than a touch of melancholy.

First on the EP is Intro, a very aptly named track that, without any vocals, manages succefully to put you in the required mood. It’s an atmospheric sound that would definitely fit in the soundtrack of a film like Lost in Translation or basically any staring-out-the-window scene, all before things shift slightly as the second track begins and Mario’s vocals along with a more prominent guitar make for a slightly darker setting.

As with the volume dial of a radio, the increasingly dark atmosphere continues its ascension until it culminates with Grey Blood, its guitar riffs now making for a perfect backdrop as Mario’s vocals evolve into a soft screaming lament. 

Plastic Animals appear as an upolished diamond, it will not wow most people on a first listen, but give it a second chance and listen to it properly, perhaps while cruising through the city on a rainy day, and you’ll see the magic happen.

• Bandcamp