Fling weekend was hard for me. Between the student bands covering 2010 hits in the Lower Quad and revisiting my freshman dorm in the Nipple, I was flooded with the sights and sounds of a freshman year past. One particularly evocative sound was Neon Trees’ “Animal” — when I heard it on Friday, I remembered the sheer number of impromptu dance parties it inspired, and subsequently burst into tears.
Okay, I didn’t do that. But something about “Animal” still does strike at my core. This mediocre, cookie–cutter, just–indie–enough pop song — which should be, in all respects, completely forgettable — is anything but. The catchy guitar line gets you from the opening bars. The chorus, a mix of aching “oh–ohs," makes it easy to rock out and sing along. And the ineffable hook materializes effortlessly with each listen: “what are you waiting for?”
But it’s even simpler than that. “Animal” is so great because it brings about that pesky feeling and annoying popular reference to “feeling infinite." Whether that’s age–appropriate for a 20 year–old (it’s not) is of no interest to me. As long as those five words ring true, I will be forever dancing to “Animal” in the foyer of my freshman hall.
