We the Animals

by Nick Zammuto

Overview

Nick Zammuto composed the soundtrack for We the Animals, Jeremiah Zagar's 2018 coming-of-age drama based on the novel of the same name written by Justin Torres. Interspersed with clips from the film, including two a cappella songs by one of the film's stars, Josiah Gabriel, Zammuto's music is somewhat closer to the more experimental ambient music he made during the late '90s and early 2000s than the collage-pop of the Books or the sophisticated electronic rock of his eponymous band. Most of his pieces are brief and consist of softly shimmering synths, quietly setting a scene and expressing a certain feeling for a moment before moving on. The occasional clips from the film are necessary inclusions, as they spell out the themes of betrayal and alienation which aren't always obvious in the music. Still, some of Zammuto's pieces are tense and exciting. "We Wanted More," near the beginning of the album, is a swiftly accelerating techno beat which abruptly ends with the sound of glass breaking. "The Kitchen" begins with a soft, heartbeat-like thump before building up to clicky IDM with beats approximating clanging pots and pans, sounding busy and productive. Much more menacing is the gritty suspense of "Bad Bad Bad," as well as the similar "Bad Nightmare." The longest piece, "Fly Away," encapsulates much of the album's emotional range, beginning soft and detached before accelerating to a racing pulse (accompanied by the scribbling sound present throughout several of the album's tracks), then becoming calm and reflective again. The sudden bursts of fury and panic keep the soundtrack fresh and invigorating. ~ Paul Simpson

Product Details

Release Date:	03/29/2019
Label:	Temporary Residence
UPC:	0656605332222
Rank:	168085

Tracks

1. I'll Fly Away
2. We Wanted More
3. We Wanted Less
4. Just This
5. Look at Me
6. You Went So Far
7. Under the Bed
8. Paps Leaves
9. The Kitchen
10. Like a Bomb
11. Stealing
12. Dream of Paps
13. Haircut
14. Tonight We'll Go for a Ride
15. You Were Supposed to Find Us
16. Bad Bad Bad
17. Wet Dream
18. No More Crying
19. Paps Dug a Grave
20. It Was My Grave
21. Bad Nightmare
22. Winter
23. Can I Come?
24. Fly Away
25. I'm Nobody's Baby
26. We the Animals

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Nick Zammuto   Primary Artist
We the Animals   Primary Artist
Josiah Gabriel   Primary Artist
Jeremy DeVine   Sequencing
Isabel Faintych   Handwriting

Technical Credits

Albert E. Brumley   Composer
Rafael Anton Irisarri   Mastering
Ruy Garcia   Mixing
Nick Zammuto   Mixing,Composer,Engineer
Jeremy DeVine   Design,Editing,Producer
Zak Mulligan   Photography
Luciano Vignola   Engineer
Milton Ager   Composer
David Thompson   Engineer
Benny Davis   Composer
Lester Santly   Composer