As a Boston area engineer Kevin Micka has built his reputation as a first rate loop guru. Guiding guitar, drums and other sound sources through a maze of electronics he creates vivacious streams of notes that change colour with each new collision. The vivid playfulness of The Books is called to mind as a comparison. For all the high-resolution detail and clever juxtaposition of sounds Animal Hospital falls prey to a problem that plagues many sound-happy artists. The building, building, building up of many tracks never actually becomes anything more than a foundation to a song. Certain pieces like, “March and June” with its systolic beat, whirring resonance and cooing vocals promises to swerve but never changes its arrow-straight path off into a vanishing point. “Barnyard Creeps” is a late-comer that breaks that tradition and uses a gnarled guitar form to force directional shifts. Micka’s knack for interesting textures and complementary colours make the album an easy listen, but one that fails to leave lasting impressions.Mutable Sound
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