Animal Names: Oh Yes You Better Do

What is it about summer that makes everything around you so damn intoxicating, palpable and, in a sense, permanent? Is it the smell of freshly cut grass, the hope of love under dusk or a thousand other cliches? Whatever it may be, Vancouver’s pop-punkers Animal Names have attempted to provide a soundtrack for this year’s fading summer on its latest EP, Oh Yes You Better Do. The only problem is the EP has only hit two of the three aforementioned listed pitches. Once old man winter begins to show himself, it’s likely Animal Names will fade into obscurity. The eight tracks on Oh Yes You Better Do certainly show Animal Names’ penchant for flowery hooks and tragically beguile-less wordplay, yet is this enough to set Animal Names apart from the hoards of other pop-punk outfits dominating stereos this summer? Although the excellent production on the record attempts to prove otherwise, the short answer is no.