photo courtesy of Glass Onyon PR

Single Reviews of Animal Logic: “Can You Tell Me” and “Ordinary”

You may recall Animal Logic from more than 30 years ago. In 1989, the combination of jazz bassist Stanley Clarke, ex-Police drummer Stewart Copeland, and singer-songwriter Deborah Holland released their first album, the self-titled Animal Logic. Animal Logic II followed in 1991 before the trio split. Fast-forward to late 2022 and the group released two new singles, “Can You Tell Me” and “Ordinary,” which were the culmination of collaboration, idea-sharing, and file-sharing that began back in in 2013.

image courtesy of Glass Onyon PR

Not to bias you from the outset, but the first of these two singles, “Can You Tell Me,” is my clear personal favorite. (OK, yes, I did mean to bias you.) “Can You Tell Me” is exactly the sort of song you’d expect to hear in a speakeasy. It’s a song that would fit perfectly on the Gentlemen’s Anti-Temperance League’s album, Masquerade, that I reviewed here six years ago. A smoothly-plucked jazz bassline, stylistically appropriate, groovy accompanying skinswork, and some well-placed wind from guest harmonica player Howard Levy (from Béla Fleck and the Flecktones) supports Deborah Holland’s timeless, well-enunciated crooning to channel the vibes of a cozy, smoky jazz joint.

image courtesy of Glass Onyon PR

From the opening notes of “Ordinary,” you can tell that these two singles, while simultaneously released, share little sonically. “Ordinary” is more of a folky pop number, with a listing of crises that’s uncomfortably reminiscent of “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” Granted, “Ordinary” focuses on current situations, but the phrasing – and seeming need to fit just one too many events into the lyrics, especially early on – comes off as a little too self-congratulatory in the “oh, aren’t we so aware of the issues” sort of way. Songs that contain these sorts of lists need to walk a fine line, and “Ordinary” comes off on the self-indulgent side of that line. Musically, it bops along with nifty flourishes, well-coordinated builds to simultaneous musical and lyrical climaxes, and the neat juxtaposition of a cheerful melody with a depressing topic. Ordinarily, I’d really dig all those details, but man, I’d love a rewrite to make the onslaught of referenced tragedies a little less dense. I’ll give ’em an “A” for effort, and given the A-list talent involved, definitely decide for yourself – my only complaint with this otherwise-exceptional song may be more of a pet peeve than a universal truth.

Of course, if you only listen to one of the songs, I’d recommend “Can You Tell Me.” It’s really cool. And I’m psyched to have some new Animal Logic music to listen to, more than three decades after Animal Logic II. Here’s hoping this trio will be inspired to collaborate even more in the not-too-distant future.