Rockfreaks.net

Childrenn

Animale

Written by: BV on 31/03/2016 22:25:43

I’m not one for using descriptions such as ”super-group” lightly, or even at all, to be honest. Not unless it makes sense, and in this particular context I think it’s only fair to do so. Why is that then? Well, because what we have here in this particular band called Childrenn is a constellation of musicians who have done their fair share for Danish music through various bands. You only really need to glance at the band and its combined credentials (featuring members from bands such as The Raveonettes, SPEkTR, Sort Sol, Psyched Up Janis, Hymns From Nineveh, Powersolo and many more) to set the bar ridiculously high before having actually heard the album – unfair as that may very well seem.

The brief look at the band’s credentials also reveals another thing about the music before the actual listening experience – the fact that this will by no means be a traditional rock album in any sense. Through the opening vibes of “Handcuffed” this impression is almost immediately confirmed with a potent kraut-rock styling emanating from my speakers all the while these vividly cinematic lead-guitar lines swirl effortlessly through the mix. “Handcuffed” is not a hit, in fact you probably won’t find one such on “Animale”, but it’s damn close and that’s good enough for me.

With “Black Unicorn” things tend to get on the groovier side with an almost classic strumming pattern on the guitar opening the proceedings. The lead guitar is once more a dominant feature, but not in a distracting sort of way as there is still plenty of space for the vocals to really get out there, to the point where they aren’t just a duty or a mandatory segment, but more like a vital ingredient – with the appropriate delivery for one such ingredient. In fact, I’d say vital is probably what describes most of “Animale” best as we move on to “It’s Time to Leave” which has an incredibly powerful and simplistic riff and a highly memorable build-up in general. The songwriting and structure of “It’s Time to Leave” is kind of safe compared to the rest of “Animale” but it does provide some solid ground to really get a hold of yourself following the escapades of tracks like “Animale / Neural Oscillations” which I will not get into further detail with as that particular track is more of an experience than something that should actually be described, save for the phrases ‘kraut-rock’, ‘noise’ and ‘cacophony’ which are the first ones to really pop into my head whenever I recall that segment of the album.

Is Childrenn a super-group then? You tell me – all I know is that “Animale” is certainly not one of those albums that can’t deliver on high expectations. It can be debated whether or not it is one of the strongest albums of the year, but I’ll certainly deem it worth your time if you’re into rock n’ roll getting its freakiness on.

Download:Handcuffed, Black Unicorn, It’s Time to Leave
For the fans of: SPEkTR, Psyched Up Janis, The Cult
Listen: Facebook

Release date 04.03.2016
Target / Mighty Music