How badly do you want to combine the auto-tune and beats of Daft Punk with the vocals of Death Cab, the pop tendencies of Passion Pit and the crude attitude of Arctic Monkeys? Very badly? Fortunate for you! The new album by musician/producer Rafter Roberts (aka Rafter) is all of that and so much more! Animal Feelings, his fifth is just as dancey as you want with the soft, pop vocals you also want. What results is some sort of wonderful make-beautiful-love-on-the-dance-floor music.
And shit there are so many great tracks on this album that it’s hard to discount anything. Opening track “No Fucking Around” is a strong candidate for my favorite song of the year. It combines slow, heavy beats perfectly with sweet vocals and uses auto tune so much that it works. But even the next three tracks, the hectic “A Frame,” love song “Timeless Form, Formless Time” and sex anthem “Fruit,” are on par. Singles “Paper” and “Beauty, Beauty” are the tame choices, and interestingly enough, the weaker of the great batch of tracks on Animal Feelings. Tied together, the songs make for a diverse, fun and awesome album.
Althought Rafter doesn’t explore too terribly deep musically with Animal Feelings, the album is fun, well-written and will last as many spins as you want to give it. It should be your new go-to indie dance music album. IT SHOULD BE. MAKE IT SO. With Hot Chip moving out of the dance scene, this might be Rafter’s chance to take things over. And if he has taught me anything with these songs it’s that he is DEFINITELY not fucking around.
Rafter – “No Fucking Around” [MP3]
Rafter – “Paper” [MP3]
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