Local Review: No Such Animal — I’m Not Angry, You’re Angry

No Such Animal
I’m Not Angry, You’re Angry
Self-Released
Street: 04.10.2026
No Such Animal = My Chemical Romance + I Don’t Know How But They Found Me

I have been a fan of No Such Animal since I saw them at Provo, Utah’s staple venue Velour during a performance of theirs at a Battle of the Bands show and this latest album is a peak example of why. A 39-minute run time across 12 tracks, an alternate, unplugged version of a track and a demo gives listeners who are familiar, or unfamiliar, with the band plenty of material to sample.

The album begins with the track “I — Terra Aliena,” which translates to “foreign country” in Latin. The whole track is performed in Latin, and serves as this majestic introduction of layered, choir-style vocals that sound like they were recorded in the largest, most epic of cathedrals. The transition into track two “Stranger” is a nice, simple crossfade as hard-and-fast strings start, and are quickly joined by satisfying Tré Cool–esque drums that combine with the strings — a great introduction to a record whose album art is a beheaded knight with flames where a head was!? So badass. The track’s lyrics match the energy brought by the vibrant and expansive rock instrumental with the effect heavy chorus, “I’m a stranger in my skin / Save me from this world of sin / This world I’m in.”

Track six “In The Blood” was a personal highlight of mine. The track’s subject is a maternal figure who displays narcissistic tendencies, uses guilt-tripping and weaponizes her own negative self-perception against her children. The chorus speaks about the fear and acceptance that many children have towards themselves when they come from an environment like this saying, “I can’t shake, shake out the crazy / Cuz you know it’s in my blood / All in vein it’s in the blood.” No Such Animal’s vocalist Finn Morrison does a stellar job at delivering the track with emphasis placed on select lyrics and tone that’s just as snarky as it is personal. 

Track nine “Milk + Honey” will only grow more relevant the longer that Congress is filled with people you don’t want to share the roads with. Morrison writes damning criticisms of our representation, directed both at a state and federal level, with lines like, “They commit the sin but we atone / And we fight their civil war,” “…geriatrics only gerrymander / Clinging to their power with their cold dead fingers” and, “They get exactly what they need / And everyone’s for sale.” It’s a track that articulates the frustration and stress that many are feeling, as locally Mr. Wonderful lies about his data centers critics, and people feel the strain of high gas prices and the impact our current administration has had on communities everywhere. 

The band’s Bandcamp page for the album includes a statement that says the album is about frustration. Frustration with oneself, towards feelings of isolation and towards being deceived about the promises of success that are held in front of you like a carrot on a stick. The band’s statement closes with a reference to the track “Milk + Honey” reading, “When you do everything you were supposed to, but in the end, there is no land of milk and honey. Frustration with yourself — knowing that you’re doomed to repeat mistakes and disappoint the ones you love most. Frustration with a world that bleeds the innocent dry for the sick indulgence of the powerful.” With I’m Not Angry, You’re Angry, the members of No Such Animal have released both a poignant commentary on the world through their eyes today, as well as a soundtrack for any aspiring revolutionaries who will see forth changes for those who follow. —Hans Magleby

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