Reviews

Remember when emo didn’t involve goofy haircuts or guyliner or Pete Wentz? Remember American Football and The Promise Ring—good old vintage emo? Look Mexico does. While they can’t single-handedly resurrect quality emo, they can at least play it with their own spin. This Is Animal Music is the band’s debut full-length, which follows The Crucial EP, both released off Lujo Records.
 
I immediately felt like the album’s sunny sound was inviting. Some of the songs really roped me in and made me feel connected to the band in that way you always want to feel connected to your music. I really got into it track three when the brassy horns popped up. I loved the almost surprising addition of such bold instruments in such a low-key song. I had fun with the rolling, bouncy guitar and upbeat drums on track seven.
 
The guitar work features few chords and usually opts for individual, non-patterned notes. The two intertwining guitars have a sort of quirky blues sound, which is definitely one of the best parts of the album. In fact, the guitars are probably what give Look Mexico a more unique sound. The band is certainly talented, and they put their respective instruments to good use. There’s no real structure to any of the songs, leaving a free flowing form that suits the music well.
 
The lyrics are personal enough that I feel like the band is actually writing about something, but they stick to a more vague, imagery based level. Their easy-going, simple nature complements the music well. However, the lyrics are minimal. There’s actually about six songs that are largely instrumental. Some of these parts could drag a bit though and made the album come off a little uneven. For example, “Dude, You Have a Bazooka’s” slow and dreamy quality didn’t fit with the rest of the album. (I did, however, enjoy singer Matt Agrella’s parents’ clarinet duet.)
 
The pacing really gets messed up when the crazy lady appears. At three different points, some ridiculous “life path” woman talks to some man about numerology. She very seriously explains that all sixes need to feel needed and respected and sometimes when people come together it can just be toxic. What? Exactly. I think this is supposed to be funny on an ironic level, or something, but I just found it irritating. Actually, it annoyed the hell out of me.
 
I don’t like employing the fast-forward button when listening to an album. While there weren’t many tracks I’d skip entirely, I would fast forward through almost five minutes of this woman talking and the some of the more repetitive extended musical interludes. Overall, this is a solid effort that I enjoyed. Emo as it should be.