8/10

When Laura Marling and Tuung's Mike Lindsay first introduced their LUMP project in 2018, it was treated as a light departure from both of their usual guises. Keeping one foot firmly in both of their comfort zones, the self-titled debut album was met with near universal acclaim and showed enormous promise for both artists when it came to them returning to their formative ventures. But after three years to figure out their next steps, they now feel more assured in where to take LUMP next as they deliver their sophomore LP 'Animal', a record that explores far more aesthetics than we originally thought.

When the first album was released, many were focusing too much of the comparisons between LUMP and their usual material as individuals, usually because these kind of projects are sometimes very short lived. But with 'Animal', it is clear they are both taking this new endeavour very seriously and have perfectly formed a new direction that permanently separates them from everything they have worked on before. With an enormous amount of adventurous ideas, heading into an almost Bowie-esque pursuit of self-discovery, this new collection is a bold step forward that surprises at almost every turn.

LUMP is certainly growing into something much bigger than we first thought when it began, and we are all the more grateful for it. 'Animal' takes these two out of the tired preconceptions of what side-projects normally are, and sends us on a freeing and explorative journey through their most captivating compositions to date.