‘ZABA’ is one of the best debut albums released in the past decade. When I put the record on for the first time, I had no idea who Glass Animals were or that it was their debut record. It sounds so refined and mature, that I thought that the Oxford quartet was already an established act which I somehow missed. The dark yet sexy atmosphere on the album is so intense, filled with passion, and sonically well organized, that it leaves the impression of a long songwriting experience lying behind it. It contains intricate beats and time signatures, and a variety of styles spread throughout this 45+ minute compact musical product. Songs differ from ‘Black Mambo’ which is straight-up sexy R&B, through ‘Pools’, a direct burst of tropical rhythms, to the east-meets-west instrumentation of the pleading love song ‘Hazey’.
The ethereal, almost cerebral feeling on ‘ZABA’ is no mere coincidence. Glass Animals frontman Dave Bayley has a degree in neuroscience from London’s King’s College. But it’s not all-brainiac music at all - Bayley, who cites trip-hop acts like Flying Lotus and Madlib as influences, is no amateur when it comes to crafting exciting and sophisticated beats and smooth R&B grooves. Initially a bedroom project, Glass Animals grew into a quartet when Bayley brought three of his childhood friends onboard. The band’s first EP, 2012’s psychedelic ‘Leaflings’, caught the attention of producer Paul Epworth, famous for his talent-spotting genius (Adele, Bloc Party, Florence & the Machine), who signed the new band to his label, Wolf Tone. The first result of their collaboration was ‘ZABA’, Glass Animals’ first full-length record, named after the children’s book “The Zabajaba Jungle” by William Steig.
The jazzy harmonies, hip-hop beats and a variety of hard-to-pinpoint sounds are not the weirdest things on the album. That would certainly be the lyrics. While the musical vibe of ‘ZABA’ is seductive throughout the whole record, the words are entirely opposite of that. If you listen closely enough, the lyrics are weird to the point where they're almost distracting. The words seem senseless - "Back lashing with a bullet full of love/Makes papa want to crawl up his old truck" is a perfect example of this. It's not even clear whether "Gooey"—which contains the wacky come-on "ride my little Pooh Bear"—is referring to bodily excretions or peanut butter. Still, while the lyrics may be unorthodox, even absurd, the way they're singing them is in complete union with the album’s atmosphere.
One more thing - don’t listen to the album on your laptop, because it might sound unexciting, even like total garbage. So pick up your best quality pair of speakers or headphones and put the record on. I can’t guarantee that you won’t play it over and over again, ‘cause it’s more than catchy - it is truly mesmerizing!
