MP3: The Animation - Overboard
10 years ago or so I would've been all about The Animation, nowadays not so much. I'm still down for post-"Bends" alt-rock with arena pretensions, but it's no longer the zeitgeist, so to hear new bands with such lofty pretenstions is sort of loaded. Back in the day I sought out all sorts of like-minded aspiring bands- it's how I got into Cave In (via "Jupiter", 'natch), Ben Christophers, Arid and many others. But now? Not so much.
Still, it's hard to fault The Animation for trying. I actually appreciate the fact that there's nothing "indie" about them, besides the fact that they have taken a DIY approach to putting out their own album, but I get the sense that's more out of necessity, not by choice. Songs like "Overboard" are defiantly huge; relics of another era. The vocals drift off into falsetto and bolstered by layers of harmony and a driving beat. Strings enter on the breakdown and carry us through to the climatic final chorus and outro. All very predictable. Yet, it's not without its charms. Catch me on a day when I'm not feeling old and cranky and I might actually cop to enjoying it.
The Animation - Overboard