ALBUM REVIEW: Upright Animals – Dragged Under
The main criticism of most alternative albums over the last couple of years lies in repetition. Yet when presented with a versatile collective like DRAGGED UNDER and their new record Upright Animals, there’s absolutely no concern. Despite the record discussing the limits we’re kept within in society, such as the ruling powers above our heads, animalistic instincts, struggling relationships and our inner suffering, there’s no confining this collection of songs to one subgenre. From co-writing with ATREYU/HELL OR HIGHWATER’s Brandon Saller in lead single All Of Us and featuring UNDEROATH’s Spencer Chamberlain in Brainwash Broadcast, to the sheer number of clear influences across the scene, there’s something for everyone here.
The title track opens the album with fast paced nostalgia. The post-hardcore/emo style is like an UNDEROATH and MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE hybrid, and is surprisingly not co-written with Chamberlain. The fusion of melodic riffs and clean vocals paired with raw, gruff screams and adrenaline-inducing percussion makes for an enticing listen that sets the bar incredibly high. Luckily, for DRAGGED UNDER, it’s not followed by an instant diminuendo and the standard is maintained throughout. Second and fourth tracks All Of Us and Crooked Halos are also very strong stand outs. The former is a huge hit with crashing beats, driving riffs and a bold, melodic chorus, while the latter features subtle production, a mixture of acoustic guitar, storming deep riffs and orchestral highlights. The contrast between the gentle verses and ARCHITECTS-style choruses is jarring but effective, conveying their songwriting prowess even more.
A complete contrast of sounds, but still parallel in quality, See You Alive hits just as hard as Upright Animals but in a far more emotive way. Led by acoustic guitar and beautiful clean vocals, this tale of grief is, in short, incredible. Every element of the track is poignant, from the personal and direct lyrics to the guttural yet melodic shouts in the chorus. The gentler verses are further uplifted in contrast to the hard-hitting, heavier choruses, effectively drawing you in more and more after each one. No matter how many times this is put on repeat, the despair is still fresh.
Where production was lightly hinted at in Crooked Halos, eighth track Weather explores its potential like no other. Opening up with a short and simplistic jingle before rumbling guitars and drums break through, this track speaks of mental health and stress. This sample returns frequently layered under lyrics of anxiety, and could be perceived as hold music as they’re stuck waiting for an answer, which is very on the nose. For the outro, they include another, less explicable sample in the form of swirling orchestral music, like something from a children’s scary film or the queue outside Disney’s Haunted Mansion, potentially representing the fear of facing their mental health. The former is especially effective in highlighting the song’s meaning and inviting more focus on the lyrics, while the latter in general goes to show DRAGGED UNDER can use production well for dramatic flair without going over the top.
Another on the nose style choice is the pop-punk interjection of Never Enough. This is the only song of this genre on the record and adds a bit of humour as one figures out why they paired this song with these lyrics. The lines “You still look at me and see a kid / So what, grow up” sang in the vocal style of Ryan Locke of SEAWAY and a kick-heavy standard four-beat drum rhythm are surely done as satire in comparison to what else they’ve produced for this album. Not to say that this is a poor song or blatantly comedic, but rather a subtle joke of using the youthful style of pop-punk to convey the message of feeling immature and not being treated as an adult.
When an album is made up of 12 tracks, one expects at least a few fillers, but thanks to DRAGGED UNDER’s versatility and gripping lyrics, there’s barely one to be found. While not all of the genres featured in this record are completely cohesive for a full-length and linear listen, the songs are still very strong as individual singles. Upright Animals has shown us is that this band are capable of many styles and we shouldn’t be telling them to be more constricted than society already is.
Rating: 8/10
Upright Animals is out now via Mascot Records.
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