Asthmatic Kitty
Animal Feelings Rafter’s fourth album is a party. It’s dizzying loud and overblown and when you think back on it later it all seems a little silly. Still you can’t deny the beautiful intoxication you’ve experienced.
Unlike most parties though there’s a lot going on behind the surface revelry on Animal Feelings . While the overloaded autotuned voice repeating the title on “No Fucking Around” immediately stands out it’s the song’s shuffling stutter of a rhythm that ultimately sticks. In terms of subject matter “Timeless Form Formless Time” doesn’t improve upon its dopey name but a clatter of percussion a leering saxophone and Rafter’s drop-dead melody carry the song beyond its “you’re my girl” trappings. The title track begins as a jumble of seemingly disconnected instruments and electronic bleeps that slowly get pulled into one another by the freaky background chants of Jim Garry and fellow Asthmatic Kitty weirdo DM Stith.
The surprisingly nuanced party does falter from time to time but for the most part it’s a blast where no one gets despondent enough to stare into their drink. The freak flag is a nice touch but you’ll mostly remember how much fun it is regardless of how your head feels the next morning.
