The Brooklyn band’s simultaneously thoughtful and party-friendly second full-length is both evidence of, and a tribute to, creativity and true originality and an invitation to be yourself
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This past weekend, Brooklyn band Kissed By An Animal celebrated not one but two musically momentous occasions: the digital drop (Friday) of their second full-length album I Don’t Have to Explain Myself to You and, on Sunday, a secondary release on sweet blue vinyl via Handstand Records (available via Bandcamp here).
While we love the convenience factor of streaming (we don’t have the technology nor the steady hand to spin vinyl on the subway), allow us to make the case for copping a physical copy. As mentioned in this past Friday’s edition of THE SETLIST, in a true example of musicians possessing creativity that can’t be confined to one medium, Kissed By An Animal’s Dima Drjuchin is also an incredible illustrator and animator who, along with casually creating the album cover for Father John Misty’s 2012 album Fear Fun, is also responsible for all of KBAA’s art—including that for this record and the music video for the band’s most recent single “Be.” In other words, you aren’t just buying a record (on sick blue vinyl, btw!) but scoring a seriously frame-worthy work of art featuring birds, UFOs, some cool (and maybe satanic?) cow-headed human plus other trippy shit that tbh I haven’t done enough mushrooms and/or acid to totally understand.
But beyond the sick visual elements, let’s talk (obviously) about the tunes. Following the record’s release, KBAA shared the following band-approved statement on the album, courtesy of their friend Greg Barris:
“Past feeling like you don’t fit in, past finding your purpose, I Don’t Have To Explain Myself to You is your soundtrack; constantly approaching recklessness, without crossing the line. On their second LP, Kissed by An Animal is through and through a New York band with grit, love, and party turned to Maximum Krank.”
MAXIMUM KRANK!
In addition, Dima did us the favor of letting us into the candy-hued kaleidoscope of his creative brain and sent over some thoughts on each of the 12 songs, which collectively portray the personal, unpack the universal and explore the existential, combining to form what’s simultaneously a thought-provoking and extremely fun and party-friendly album that serves as evidence of, and a tribute to, true creativity and originality, an invitation to be yourself and an examination of the beautiful and complex relationship every artist has with their art.
I DON’T HAVE TO EXLAIN MYSELF TO YOU—TRACK BY TRACK:
“Unicorn Baby”
“A commitment to a life of a creative person can be rewarding and unforgiving. Don’t let your work just become work. Keep it special to yourself.”
“Negative Joy“
“Making art in a vacuum VS making it with an audience. Hide or be vulnerable.”
“Blue Skull“
“Feeling like you’re in an endless cycle of work with little feeling of accomplishment and wondering why even do it while the world is burning.”
“Kicking Closed The Coffin Door“
“Humanize yourself to those who perceive you as an existential enemy.”
“Songs About New York“
“You live here your whole life hearing songs about New York that you never relate to. They’re mostly written by rich people who made this city unlivable for anyone who isn’t.”
“Be”
“Does God Exist? Does it matter? Do I matter? I’m tired, can’t we just be and live?”
“Poison Bite“
“The know it all knows nothing.”
“Open World“
“Instrumental, but was written as a tribute to Eddie Van Halen. I wrote it the day after he died. It’s my ‘Eruption’. “
“Harp“
“Time is a speeding locomotive that is passing us by while we talk about the things we want to do instead of doing them. I’d rather just do them.”
“Lack of Plan and Attack“
“Feeling adrift without a destination but maybe that’s okay?”
“Helper“
“A robot turns sentient but can’t override its programming and is stuck performing remedial tasks for humans while recognizing itself as a God.”
“I Don’t Have to Explain Myself to You“
“Being.”
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Miss the album release show at Econo Lodge last weekend? Never fear! You have the opp to catch the band THIS SUNDAY at Rockaway Beach Brewing Co. with Shadow Monster, Desert Sharks, Nihiloceros, Sex Rays and Lil Goose as part of [the *FREE*] Rockaway Music Fest. (Details here.)
Please join me now in obsessing over this record. And come this weekend, catch you on the beach, babes~
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Follow Kissed By An Animal at @kissedbyananimal, buy their music on Bandcamp and add the songs to your Spotify playlists!
Feature image provided by the band.