Lend Me The Twelve - Songs Of Interest EP Review

This EP is a must-have for any fan of Animal Collective and the like. It's well written, beautifully produced, and just plain fun to listen to!

There’s something in the water over at Full Power Records. After a string of bizarre undeniably commanding releases they’re back with Lend Me The Twelve and their latest EP Songs Of Interest, which may shape up to be the strongest FPR release of 2021. The short EP of three tracks starts with ferocious performances that provide a thread of consistency between the songs. This EP at times reminds me of artists like Animal Collective but with a vague emo sentimentality. There’s a fervent delivery in the artists performances that is only supported by the immaculate production.

Let’s dive into the music. The first song of this EP, "Devil's Avocado" is a standout for me with it's incredibly funky guitar and driving drums. The way they use backing vocals to give a sense of urgency in their music, is enthralling. This track has some pretty interesting synth work going on while maintaining the funky guitars and drum line from earlier tracks. There can be moments where it feels more like a music box and less like song, but it's still really cool.

One thing I love about this EP is that the vocals are mixed to feel more like an instrument than anything else at times. The lyrics are so well written with such unique imagery that they could be read as poetry in some cases. Songs of Interest slowly ramps up before switching gears for "Bird's 'n' The Bees" which features more frantic vocals and slap bass. The E.P takes an ever-winding journey through nature, wildlife and the human psyche via their sonic smoothie of influences, ranging from Samba and Funk to Rap, dripped throughout the 3 tracks.

I'll admit partway through my listening I started noticing how well everything was mixed together without any instrument overpowering another; especially the guitars. Another thing worth mentioning are the lyrics: not only were they written beautifully they were written in a way that's very easy to relate to. “Twelve Angry Men" starts with mellow vocals and music before switching gears for more slap bass, wailing guitars and distortion halfway through the song. It switches back again with another verse of "mellow music". This is something you don't hear every day- it was refreshing coming from an E.P where all three songs are so different yet cohesive at the same time.

The lyrics to this EP had me hooked: not only were they written beautifully but I could easily relate to them as well. The band has noted how much inspiration came from their studio environment while recording these songs there . This was really apparent in the music- I could hear how much time and care went into this project.This track as well as many of the other tracks on this EP, are just really fun to listen to. It's easy to let your mind be carried away by this music and it doesn't hurt that there are a lot of hooks throughout each song, with intense builds at times. The next few songs continue to deliver on the promise of great music that is littered through the EP. The production on the record is really well done.

This EP is a must-have for any fan of Animal Collective and the like. It's well written, beautifully produced, and just plain fun to listen to! Shout out to Full Power Records for releasing such a wild EP. The music keeps getting better and there’s also something really special about the label in general. If you're looking for something new in your music rotation or if you want an introduction into this type of soundscape (or are already a huge fan), give it a try! This is one music-lover who will be eagerly awaiting what comes next from Lend Me The Twelve as they've proven themselves capable in this short release alone. We can't wait for their next release too...