LUMP - Animal
Critic Score
Based on 19 reviews
2021 Ratings: #171 / 753
User Score
Based on 668 ratings
2021 Rank: #153
Liked by 74 people
July 30, 2021 / Release Date
LP / Format
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CRITIC REVIEWS

100
The Skinny
This intoxicating second album proves that LUMP – Laura Marling and Tunng's Mike Lindsay – are greater than the sum of their parts.
90
Louder Than War

Animal is an instinctively playful and curious beast, nuzzling its way through a variety of styles with a genuine sense of fun and adventure. A clever, wild and overwhelmingly adorable animal that thrives on the sheer joy of making music.

90
The Line of Best Fit

What makes Animal such a success is the devotion that Laura Marling and Mike Lindsay have put into the project.

80
NME
‘Animal’ is a record fuelled by the most primal of instincts – and resistance is futile.
80
The Irish Times
A surprising, strange but deeply satisfying collection.
80
Record Collector

Between its playful, retro-electro settings and the murky presentiments of Marling’s allusive lyrics, Animal paints outside the lines of LUMP’s debut carefully, never suffocating the intuitive strangeness at its heart.

80
Gigwise

Animal is a multifaceted, ambitious record that seems to be fascinated with the more violent, primal side to fame. Marling and Lindsey have clearly refined their sonic palette more than the self-titled predecessor, which has resulted in a beautiful, detailed mixture of electronic and acoustic elements.

80
Dork
Untamed and wild, running on instinct rather than sense, LUMP is the sort of animal that you’re happy to know exists out there, in whatever world it may find itself in.
80
Mojo

There's a slight hollowness in its bones, a coldness under its skin, and the experimental splices are sometimes a bit too obvious, but Animal admirably slips standard musical taxonomy to take on a life of its own.

80
Uncut

It's not exactly a shoo-in for the 6 Music playlist, and yet here's the odd thing about Animal: wherever you care to drop the needle or let the shuffle button take you, the essence of this collaboration and the velocity of its execution somehow hoovers you up and brings you along.

80
DIY
Indulgent by design but illuminated with imagination, it takes a few listens for the LP’s diamonds to truly shine, but when they do, they really shine bright.
80
Under the Radar

Even though Animal has some second-half fits and starts, the album’s opening salvo and last half highlights place the album squarely in the running for year-end best of lists.

80
Beats Per Minute

Animal is a beast worthy of its own spotlight and attentions.

80
musicOMH

It’s a natural progression from that self-titled debut, but this time it feels like a more coherent record .... Animal is more of a fully formed album rather than a mood piece.

70
Clash

Across ‘Animal,’ something seems to be missing, as a whole it’s great, but parts don’t quite seem to grasp the same excitement their self-titled debut did.

70
The Needle Drop
Another enjoyable creative detour from Laura Marling and Mike Lindsay.
70
Loud and Quiet
Perhaps the only reason LUMP work so well is because of their push-pull process: a creative speed date less concerned with maintaining a spark, and more about capturing a little bit of magic.
70
XS Noize

Animal is a certain departure from their day jobs, revealing a psychoanalytical influenced, half sweet, half gothic offering.

60
The Independent
It’s rare for an artist to be able to operate in an entirely alternate universe, which is precisely what this part-time collaboration allows Marling to do. For that reason alone, LUMP will always be intriguing. It also helps that the music is actually quite good too.
MikeOwen
90

LUMP is a strange, unusual product. Prior to its creation in June 2016, its two members, folk legend Laura Marling and producer Mike Lindsay of folktronica outfit Tunng, barely knew each other, yet it did not end up being a one-off sideshow and their 2018 self-titled debut album will not end up being their last either. Animal not only reaffirms that the two have undeniable chemistry, but also shows that there is more than one dimension to this pairing. When I learnt that LUMP were making a ... read more

Valeyard
90

I want Donda to be my 300th review.

This is amazing. But it's Laura so is anyone shocked?
'Paradise' is a wonderful song. Perfectly captures a whole essence of this album.

AndreVital
96

LUMP's sophomore effort realizes the potential of their hypnotizing debut and effectively creates THE most creative and colorful art-pop/folktronica record of the past decade. "Animal" somehow manages to be the magnum-opus in both of these incredibly respected artists' lengthy and impressive discographies.

LUMP is the collaboration between iconic singer-songwriter Laura Marling and pioneering producer well-known for his work for Tunng, Mike Lindsay. Laura Marling is fresh off the ... read more

jooklemainframe
85

Weirddxdsssdds made me feel odd and creeeeped

SoundX_
80

O grupo é formado da união do produtor pouco conhecido Mike Lindsay, caracterizado por sua roupagem folktrônica, e da brilhante liricista e intérprete country Laura Marling. Apesar disso, quando combinados, o som que esses dois criam não é nada habitual ou ordinário para eles. LUMP é a extrapolação e a “deslimitação” da mente criativa de ambos os artistas; é, portanto, a mais pura liberdade de ... read more

ANTIV15T
90

laura’s voice has a uniquely comforting and hypnotic quality, which works so well in context of the gorgeous instrumentals they’ve built around it.

favourite tracks: animal, paradise, hair on the pillow, we cannot resist

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Track List

1Bloom At Night
5:19
83
2Gamma Ray
5:26
82
3Animal
4:37
88
4Climb Every Wall
4:37
81
5Red Snakes
4:37
84
6Paradise
4:33
86
7Hair On the Pillow
1:40
76
8We Cannot Resist
4:45
86
9Oberon
2:09
79
10Phantom Limb
6:35
84
Total Length: 44 minutes
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Added on: May 5, 2021