It’s phenomenally exciting to have that sense of danger back in music. It’s subtle, malevolent and utterly charming noise, and if Glass Animals turned out to be buttering you up with a cannibalistic lick of the lips, you’d let them gnaw away.
Glass Animals sound like they are on the cusp of everything. There's a gap between their vocabulary and their sound, their choruses and their intros, their obvious intelligence and what they've produced.
Whilst Glass Animals excel at sustaining mood all that effort never really builds to any kind of release, just ultimately fading away beneath a queasy drape of melody and a frustrating sense of unfulfilment.
Literally my favorite album of this past year of my life. I feel like it has so, so much to it. The depth of everything they say in it. FromLiterally my favorite album of this past year of my life. I feel like it has so, so much to it. The depth of everything they say in it. From beginning with a song of revenge and release, to vibrant and arrogant youth, coming to drunken self-destruction, followed by being wild, and concluding with a song that relates to me in so many ways about being wild and outcasted for it. I think that "Jdnt" is incredible, and an incredible conclusion to the whole album saying: "I breath in and sigh, you can't breath without me," showing that there are two sides of every coin, and that is something we all have to accept. Plus, the trippy nature of the whole album is absolutely mesmerizing. You can really hear the hip-hop background, the crazy synth sounds. All in all, just absolutely incredible! Thank you so much Glass Animals!!!…Expand
The uniqueness of this album is tremendous. While you can heart that soft voice, there is a lot of information but you can manage time toThe uniqueness of this album is tremendous. While you can heart that soft voice, there is a lot of information but you can manage time to everything. It's so well-produced it scares me, and it calls for so many references. Truly piece of art.…Collapse
Zaba is a very unique album. And I don't mean unique within the small scope Hip Hop, R&B or Pop, but wholly unique. The sounds and theZaba is a very unique album. And I don't mean unique within the small scope Hip Hop, R&B or Pop, but wholly unique. The sounds and the textures of the songs feels like nothing else; it's like you're wandering through a mysterious jungle on an alien planet while something massive watches you from afar, waiting. And that metaphorical monster pounces at the end of nearly every song on Zaba, with each song taking its sweet time in its own way, eventually exploding or at the very least evolving into something even more interesting. The drum beats are incredibly distinctive (one of the many things lacking from GA's newest effort, How To Be A Human Being), lending a subtly different feel to each track. Dave Bayley's voice leads the band through 11 bangers, the instruments orbiting around him as he croons through the bushes, a constant rock of guidance throughout the album.
On the negative front, I've heard many complaints about the album feeling "samey" by the end. That's just about the one negative argument I can lend any credence to, but I feel there's a difference between all the songs being the same, and just having a "sound." That "sameness" you hear between songs IS the sound of Glass Animals, and it's fleshed out and explored EXTENSIVELY across these 11 tracks. But the more you listen, the more the differences stick out. It's a **** knock-out of a debut album, sporting catchy-yet-weird-as-hell tunes and esoteric, engaging lyrics that border on abstract poetry, along with that special Glass Animals swagger. It's cool because it doesn't even need to try to be. Zaba is Glass Animals, through and through. It kicked my ass, and it'll kick your ass too.…Expand
Totally worth a million listens. It gets a bit same-y by the end of it but if you just want to listen to the album in halves, that worksTotally worth a million listens. It gets a bit same-y by the end of it but if you just want to listen to the album in halves, that works pretty well. Plus Gooey is the early contender for "Song of Late Spring"…Expand
To me, Zaba is nearly as interesting or accessible as How To Be A Human Being. On Zaba, most of the songs sound pretty similar to each other,To me, Zaba is nearly as interesting or accessible as How To Be A Human Being. On Zaba, most of the songs sound pretty similar to each other, unlike Human, which has lots of musical diversity. The lyrics on Zaba are also more abstract and strange than the ones on Human, and less enjoyable as a result. The two things I really look for in a great album are musical diversity within the album and originality. This album has plenty of originality, seeping though the strange lyrics, music, and seductive, interesting vocals. The production on Zaba is AAA throughout, but lacks diversity from songs to song. I don't love the lyrics on this album, but I don't hate them either. They serve their purpose - creating an exotic jungle vibe - well, but do little else. The vocals on this album are also AAA, and one of Zaba's best elements. "Pools" is an awesome song, with great music. Zaba is extremely well-produced, but not as enjoyable or appealing as How To Be A Human Being.…Expand
