GRUB ANIMAL‘s self-titled debut contains the certain rawness that their name would imply, and that’s exactly what makes it unique experience. While Brooklyn’s most talked about scene these days is still the lo-fi scene that prides itself on their DIY aesthetic, many of the bands have needed to soak their songs in ridiculous amounts of reverb to hide the songwriting or lackthereof. Many of those bands also seem to be drawing from the same influences. Grub Animal, on the other hand comes out of left field with a sound that would imply that this is a band has listened to far more Dead Kennedys, Pere Ubu and Husker Dü than The Jesus & Mary Chain.

Front man Ted Strauss says the record “is a little about exploring different personas from rock ‘n roll’s recent past. It’s about channeling great stories through those personas, stories that are sometimes way old. The album features 3 songs using lyrics from (loosely translated) Inuit songs, documented during an arctic expedition in 1915. There is also a kind of zombie narrative running through, giving glimpses of terror, madness, and death. And for the sentimental listener, there’s at least one love song, depending on how you classify such a thing. It’s all about living the joy and labyrinth of each moment to an extreme unattainable in normal life. It’s about celebrating what’s nearly forgotten for its charm and authenticity. It’s about good music, hopefully.”

While much of the record is packed with in-your-face energy, it’s the more subtle tunes that leave the most lasting impression. Characterized by a bouncy bass line, love song”Day Brings New Love” is an early highlight. “Think of Nothing Else” shifts from soft spoken word verses to Native American sounding chants, and quite possibly the best moment of the record comes with album’s lovely instrumental halfway point, “Tetrodotoxin.”

You can download the full album for free from the link below:
Grub Animal – “Grub Animal”

You can catch Grub Animal for free on October 3rd at the “Good For You’s Good For Me” 1 Year Anniversary party at Bell House in Brooklyn.