Hy Brasil Animal’s Grace
Animal’s Grace is the debut EP from SoCal art rockers Hy Brasil. With a harp and handmade drums among their ranks, the band land somewhere between the atmospheric tones of The Cure and the Goth underpinnings of Sincerely Paul but they also produce a healthy bit of alt rock.
The album’s atmospheric yet fluid “Drive It Like You Stole It” sets the mood quite well. The song is emotive and drowned in reverb with tinges of electronics and a pretty rockin’ harp to fill the gaps. Meanwhile, “Walk Away” and the album’s closer “Chilling Me Softly” more fully embrace the both of those things, making their presence seem a bit more important to the overall sound. The latter is easily my favorite track and certainly reminds me a lot of the oft forgot Sincerely Paul. From its harp solo to its drowned vocal to its distant sound, everything about it is unique and powerful.
“Tight Rope” and the title track travel a little farther into The Cure’s (more recent) neck of the woods. “Tight Rope” has a clearer drive to it than “Animal’s Grace” but they couple pretty well together .“Tight Rope” culminates with a repetitive vocal line laid on top of a chaotic musical jam that leaves you more than ready for the gentle beginning of “Animal’s Grace” with its echo-laden vocal and sparse instrumentation spread across hypnotic rhythms that keep everything moving forward.
Overall, this wasn’t a release that struck me on first listen, but when it came around it REALLY came around and now I can’t stop listening. The only issue I have here is that the songs are so laid back that it’s a bit too easy to let fall into a pleasant background noise. I guarantee you if you get in the car and crank this one way up though, it will reveal a whole other side of itself to you.
Out Here All Night 