Raw, candid and incredibly fun

Better Lovers waste zero time ripping into God Made Me an Animal, the album demanding that listeners turn up the volume and scream along. With a highly impressive lineup of musicians, Better Lovers offer up a wicked good time with wild beats and in-your-face vocals. Despite the harsh onset of “Sacrificial Participant,” there’s still an infectious melody if you know what to listen for. Greg Puciato (lead vocals) has a feral command over his vocals, unearthing raw, guttural screams seamlessly enmeshed with a glass-shattering vibrato that’s laced with unparalleled talent. With each poignant scream, there’s a tale to be told, each song one small (but impactful) part of a larger puzzle. 

“30 Under 13” opens with the same type of unbridled grit, the emotion pouring from Puciato’s vocals. The instrumentals are flawless and the band is completely in sync with one another, an impressive feat most strive for but don’t often achieve. The guitar licks are sharp and shrewd, every solo tearing through the air as the drums and bass refuse to quit, the band’s coveted pacers. 

But Better Lovers is only getting started. “Become So Small” continues to dominate, the music incredibly fast-paced and intricate. There’s the sense that this isn’t an album designed solely to entertain — every flick of the plectrum, every unearthly scream suggests a larger story that Better Lovers are gearing up to tell. Their souls are exposed and they’re connecting with listeners everywhere. 

As quickly as the album began, it concludes. “God Made Me an Animal,” the album’s title track, presents a more subdued (albeit heavy) intro than the previous three tracks. But that’s the band’s musical trompe l’oeil as they quickly regain their incredibly ferocious pace. “God Made Me an Animal” offers a deeper, poignant glimpse into the inner workings of Better Lovers and showcases the band’s multifaceted and undeniably talented approach to all things music.