Musically speaking, indie rockers Plants and Animals have been there and back again over the past decade. The Montreal-based trio made a name for themselves as an instrumental quartet, rounded out with a viola. Nowadays, things are a little different.
“A lot of the content is about change and adapting to the change,” said guitarist Nic Basque over the phone from Montreal. “More like a naturalistic feeling.”
Since their beginnings in 2002, the group has grown and evolved constantly. Basque, along with vocalist Warren Spicer and drummer Matthew Woodley, has found his sound to change almost with the seasons. A vibrant curiosity drove much of their development, but it all happened in due time.
“When we started, we were basically jamming and improvising,” Basque said. “We would rehearse some skeletons of songs but just go and jam at the shows.”
The latest record was a marked departure from 2008’s full-length debut, Parc Avenue, which earned the band a Juno nod for alternative album of the year. With complex, orchestral arrangements and instrumentations, it’s a far cry from the relatively stripped-down, bare-bones sound on The End of That.
“[Parc Avenue] is more impressionistic,” Basque said. “I think we wanted to do that at some point in our career, and we chose that record to do it.”
The End of That finds the threesome at the other end of the spectrum, with fuzz-busting guitar, throbbing, thick percussion and an unhinged, wild vocal display. Spicer’s throat-blasting growls on “Crisis!” scream of New York Dolls-era David Johansen, a la “Personality Crisis.”
“I think what we found with [the record] was we found our sound as individuals, and I think that’s what’s up front in the recordings.”
One thing that has remained constant is a titanic sound. Where Parc Avenue nailed down a progressive, experimental vibe, The End of That is a roaring waltz through the classic rock boneyard. The six-minute epic “2010” feel like a bonus track from Led Zeppelin IV.
Despite the monumental switch-ups in sound, Basque argues that it was never a forced decision; just like a living, breathing organism, the band grows and spreads with age.
“I think it built slowly over the years,” said Basque of the change. “It was really organic.”
But just as quickly as they settle into a rhythm, they’re off and running again, in new and different directions. Of a potential next album, Basque laughed, “It’s a mystery to me, I don’t even know.”
With a well-versed musical ear and limitless arsenal of musical equation and creation, the next instalment is sure to be a fresh take, just how they like it.
“It’s tough to know what shape it’s going to take. Warren has some ideas for vocals he wants to experiment with . . . for now we’re in an experimental zone.”
“We don’t give ourselves any borders.”
Plants and Animals will be playing in Ottawa on Feb. 16 at Ritual Nightclub.
