Independent Swedish Country Folk project Backstrom has been hard at work in the studio with the release of their newest album “The Carousel.” Among its tracks, the single “Animal” stands out as one of the most narratively compelling and makes a point about the nature of human instincts with the help of assisting featured vocalist Bart Topher.
The piece starts off with an ominous string introduction. The opening lyrics quickly lay out the thesis and the artist’s broader view on humanity whispering “There’s a beast in the heart of the quiet. There’s a lion in the heart of every man. And when you’re pressed beyond the flesh, you’re the animal that you have always been.”
The lyrically motivated piece is reminiscent of an old Leonard Cohen record. For a few minutes, it prompts us to visit parts of our mind society has told us not to, and through this music we are able to learn more about ourselves than we thought possible.
The single paints an eerie picture of the duality of the human condition and takes the stance that we might not be as civilized as we would like to believe. While we might be able to hide our deepest feelings, inside all of us is that yearning to respond to our most primal instincts. Arguing we “smile to hide back all your fangs” the artist paints a picture of the way we all from time to time put up walls around us to hide our true feelings from the world and that we do ourselves all a disservice by pretending they are not there at all.
Written by Nick Gumas
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