Twenty years since his last musical endeavor, Andrew Spice graces us with a captivating record in "With Animals," an album that oozes with passion, rage, and unadulterated integrity. At the heart of this deeply intimate collection sits "Junk," a track that isn't a statement of Spice's return so much as it is something that needs to be felt. "Junk" is an adult contemporary indie anthem that addresses the emotional void created by psychiatric medication and the silent frustration of wanting to fucking feel again. Each note carries a fierce urgency, a blend of anger, openness, and emotional truth.
Spice's voice is piercing against the instrumentation, organic and urgent, drawing you close into a space that suggests both agony and resilience. Led by the masterful production of two-time JUNO nominee Matthew Barber, and augmented by the musical abilities of Mike Tompa, Marshall Bureau, and Devon Henderson, "Junk" brings together hi-fi polish and edgy indie fervour. It's the type of song that lingers begging for reflection and, paradoxically, catharsis.
The record navigates emotional terrain with the gentle, contemplative piano of "Gentle Sentinel" and the riotous, unapologetic anthems of "Rage Stage," all held together by Spice's distinctive storytelling and lyricism. This is part of the inevitable baggage of a twenty-year break from the scene, during which Andrew Spice reinvents himself, from musician to psychologist, through the storm of personal catastrophe and finally finds his way back to music as a means of survival.
"With Animals" is a testament to survival, to self-reclamation, and to the radical power of the vulnerable among us. "Junk" embodies this attitude, a call to arms for all those who have been silenced by circumstance but hunger to reclaim their emotional voice. With this strong return, Andrew Spice demonstrates that time away hasn't dulled his artistry; it has sharpened it. "Junk" is an invitation to feel deeply, to resist quietly, and to revel in the messy, mighty spectrum of human emotion all over again.
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