Folk music is a fascinating genre to break down. Like country, folk is
built upon a foundation of honest, grounded music, but with more gentle,
calm touch. It’s a very rootsy genre, but one that’s rife for
experimentation and filled with potential for impactful songwriting.
That’s exactly what Long Neck are doing with their latest album, “Soft
Animal.”
For Long Neck and lead singer/guitarist Lily Mastrodimos, “Soft Animal.”
is an album all about reconnecting with one’s self. It was recorded
during the pandemic, and was primarily written as an act of self-love,
tenderness and to prove to herself that she still loved songwriting.
That’s very nice and all, but does that make for a good album? Let’s
find out.
The most striking thing about “Soft Animal,” is how it manages to feel
bare, clean and simple while still being experimental. Its indie
sensibilities are strong, especially in songs like “The Headwaters,” and
“Ants,”. Most songs on the album are soft and soothing, though that’s
juxtaposed against the lyrics, which are interesting, dark and thought
provoking.
Speaking of the lyrics, we’re quite impressed by the songwriting on
“Soft Animal,” as it’s consistently excellent. Every single song is a
tour de force of emotion, packed to the brim with clever little
flourishes and delivered with the impact of a freight train. Lily does
an exceptional job with her vocals on this album, and the guest vocals
on “Cut & Burn,” also work tremendously well.
There’s a lot to love here, but we find the moments where the album
changes things up to some of the more interesting parts. Songs like
“558,” are a fascinating change of pace throwing, adding more synths
into the mix.
The highlight of the album however has to be Gardener, which embodies
the themes of the album perfectly. It has the most striking songwriting
of all the songs, and it’s also catchy in spite of its soft, relaxed
tone. The arrangement is simply beautiful as well, really capturing the
emotions the song is trying to get across.
Overall, “Soft Animal,” has to be one of the more enjoyably fun folk
albums to release in 2022 so far. It’s takes a lot of what works for
folk music, recontextualizing it to tell a story that’s interesting and
emotional. It also takes some risks where it can, making for a much more
interesting listening experience. Long Neck have done a great job with
this one, solid stuff!