Songs in the Key of Animals

by Benji Hughes

Overview

The front cover for Benji Hughes' Merge debut features an oil painting-rendered photo of the hirsute, North Carolina-based pop purveyor sporting aviator sunglasses and vampire teeth. However, what lies inside is not the swampy, True Blood-inspired cacophony of sultry, Southern gothic twang that Songs in the Key of Animals' misanthropic cover art would suggest, but a breezy amalgamation of girl-crazed blue-eyed soul and Chateau Marmont bungalow pop that falls somewhere between Beck, OutKast, and Harry Nilsson. "People are Animals," says Hughes in the album's press release, and he takes that notion quite literally on the two-disc, 11-track LP, applying his well-honed production skills and goofy sense of humor (this is the man who helped write the brilliant "Let's Duet" from Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story) to a set of left-field pop confections with titles like "Shark Attack!!!!!!!!!!," "Zebra," and "Peacockin' Party." ~ James Christopher Monger

Product Details

Release Date:	01/29/2016
Label:	Merge
UPC:	0673855055121
Rank:	134227

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Peacockin' Party
2. Girls Love Shoes
3. Shark Attack!!!!!!!!!!
4. Zebra
5. Fall Me in Love
6. Sugartree
7. Freaky Feedback Blues

Disc 2

8. Magic Summertime
9. Picnic
10. Longshot
11. Song for Nancy
12. ? Take You Home

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Benji Hughes   Primary Artist
Jade Vincent   Vocals
Kim Tallon   Vocals
Hillary Lefebvre   Vocals
Christina Schneider   Vocals
Charles Holloman   Drums
Sonny Mason   Vocals
Alex Kahn   Synthesizer,Saxophone,Drums,Bass
Morgan Nagler   Vocals
Meshell Ndegeocello   Vocals,Bass
Keefus Ciancia   Synthesizer
Andy Hess   Bass
Mary Wood   Vocals

Technical Credits

Benji Hughes   Producer,Composer
Nancy Hollinghurst   Cover Art
David Collins   Artwork
Amy Kennemore   Artwork
Charles Holloman   Engineer
Sonny Mason   Programming
Alex Kahn   Engineer,Mixing
King Khan   Composer
Maggie Fost   Design
Mary Wood   Producer
Keefus Ciancia   Composer,Engineer,Programming
Eleni Mandell   Composer
Gavin Lurssen   Mastering