Sometimes an idea latches hold of our brains and won’t let go. Everything we do reminds us of that idea. Even doing nothing brings it to mind. It’s like an animal clawing to get out. At least, that’s how Marcus Arch relate to it.
“These Animals” pulls those tenaciously clinging ideas and channels them into reality. As musicians, that idea is usually a song. “I’ve got this song stuck in my brain,” they open. Then, in a deeper register, they follow up with “These animals are in my head.” At first, it feels like a non-sequitur until you realize that register change is like they’re having a conversation in their head.
That second register marries a baritone voice with a sultry mezzo-soprano. It’s like a muse speaking through the artist, prodding, encouraging, and dangling the fruits of success before them. It may feel third-person, but the motivation bleeds into first-person pretty easily.
The punchy pop chorus makes your ideas spring to the forefront: your novel, your fresco, or your song. That effect’s clearest with the final, stripped-back conclusion. It ends with a hopeful, reflective sparkle of keys, like experiencing the magic of your idea realized before you.
Stream “These Animals” below.
Ben is an advertising Madman who spends his days with words and music. When he’s not writing for his supper, he’s eating it at some of NYC’s most interesting restaurants.
