Establishing the mood with a cerebral guitar soundscape, Weak Trees open Animal with subversion, grit and an ad-libbed “yeah” as the tempo increases into a high octane energy. We appreciate the raw energy that transmutes as Animal captures a wild mix of tension, cold and chaotic humour from a real winter-night trek in the Finnish woods. We learn that the track’s opening moments are intended to mimic the sting of snowfall and the urgency of getting a fire lit in a storm.
As for the narrative, at the heart of the song is a moment when one band member, who was lost in the heavy snowfall, is finally found by Elvis the dog. This reunion becomes the emotional core of the track.
The mix of panic, relief and affection manifests with the vocals, which are delivered with a raw authenticity, whilst musically, Animal leans into Weak Trees’ trademark blend of grunge and stoner rock.
Despite its intensity, Animal is actually a tribute. It is a heartfelt nod to the dogs who have shared the band’s adventures. It is loud, honest and holds a high emotional quotient that celebrates the loyalty and companionship that defined that snowy night.
Weak Trees is a rock trio from Klaukkala, Finland, formed by twin brothers Juuso and Joonas Heiskanen, with Antti Erola on bass. The band is influenced by artists from ZZ Top to Nirvana, and they fuse grunge, stoner, and alternative rock to bring to life their unique, genre expansive sound.
Their debut album, Unsuffering, was released in January, and introduced their raw, diary-like songwriting and gritty garage-built production style. Needless to say, we are in awe, and have added Animal to our New Music Spotlight playlist and our TRIPPY playlist, whilst we continue to stream the band’s wider discography, including Shine Alone!