Animal Souls’ latest release, “The Kids”, is a strong sentimental song that is timeless in its own right. A song co-written by Michael Fisher in 1989 and which has changed and adapted through the years to this latest being the most recent and polished in 2024. Everything about this song feels retro, the mellotron background is fantastic and holds a feeling like the song is paying homage to the possible and the good that all of us had in our childhood, considering the genre and the rather soulful guitar solos.
The hauntingly beautiful opening phrase of the organ sets a beautiful melancholic tone while the lyrics tell a tale of a small town where the children are not fearful of a stranger, but instead, they try to bring forth compassion and understanding towards him while the adults lack this understanding. The last part is where the essence of the song feels the most true, the juxtaposition of a child’s innocence to that of an adult-learned fear. All this is conveyed beautifully by Ava Wolsynuk’s emotive vocals, combined with the dynamics of the song. The mellotron and organ provide the waves of nostalgia, while soaring above them is Preston Sawyer’s guitar solo which seems to falter and tremble with emotion. The arrangement beautifully spins together warmth and sadness to craft something that sounds both old and new. This can also be said for Michael Fisher’s bass and acoustic guitar, which give a bedrock, while Dan Cripps and John Fultz provide the additional dimensions with wonderful parts on drums and keys, respectively.
What differentiates “The Kids” as most outstanding is the breadth of its lyrics. Another verse that has such implications is ‘And his name is love’. This encourages the listeners to consider the song differently and perhaps try to recuperate the childhood they have abandoned. The production of Michael Fisher makes sure that each note is accompanied by feeling and crispiness in sound. “The Kids” is such a fascinating composition with its deep narratives, nostalgic sounds, and theme that arguably any child could relate to, that it will stick with you long after the last chord disappears.
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