Lila Rose – ‘WE.ANIMALS.’ (album stream) (Premiere)

Just but a few weeks ago, PopMatters premiered the new video by the Canadian-born, California-based musician Lila Rose, “World on Fire”. Now that those few weeks have past, the day has come for the release of the album which hosts that song, WE.ANIMALS. This dark collection of tunes pulsates with primal energy, which forms a striking juxtaposition to Rose’s voice, which is often manipulated to echo widely against the music that surrounds it. This effect is not unlike what artist like Imogen Heap have done with records like Sparks.

From boot-stomping rock ‘n’ roll (“Tracking”) to brooding electronics (“World on Fire”) to acoustic reveries (“Stars”), WE.ANIMALS. spans a gamut of sonic textures, yet it remains grounded in Rose’s specific vision for the album. For more on that, read her detailed explanation below.

Rose tells PopMatters about the album, “WE.ANIMALS. is a long time dream for me. Long before I knew music was my path, I knew for certain of the deep care I had and have for all creatures and our environment.

“It wasn’t taught to me, I don’t think; it was just a weird inner knowing from a very young age that equality, and a sense of justice for all life was vital. Once I began making music in my early 20s, I knew that one day I would want to write a song incorporating my passion for the equal treatment, and interconnectedness of all life. Finally, about two years ago, the song started writing itself. Lo and behold, the song turned into three, then five, then 11 songs. which I ended up co producing with Daniel Garcia, who also engineered the entire album.

“WE.ANIMALS. is just that: it’s the dream. The dream of a bridge between those worlds I care so much about: music, our Earth, and the myriad of life forms which inhabit it.

“And the point is this: WE. (are) ANIMALS — ‘We’re animals lest we forget it.’

“It’s dark. It’s edgy at times. It’s passionate, it’s intense, and, beneath it all, it’s filled with love.”

WE.ANIMALS. is out now.