James Beastly set to return with new album

San Francisco-based James Beastly has long existed in that sweet, strange overlap between indie rock and melodic punk, operating as a shapeshifting artist whose music feels like the soundtrack to a dream that sticks with you. Over the years, he’s built a sonic world that’s equal parts punch and grace, moving from bittersweet melodies to surreal bursts of post punk energy. Writing from both the fringes of heartbreak to the heart of disarray, his sound shakes with an adventurous aesthetic and poetic bite, pairing emotion with cinematic charm.

His origins reach back to California’s alternative scene, first cutting his teeth in Santa Cruz pop-punk outfit The Cast-Iron Canaries before joining Return to Mono, with whom he toured extensively across the USA and Canada. Those early years gave him a road-tested perspective that still echoes through his work, the sense of movement, of never quite standing still. It’s that same creative wanderlust that led him to launch his solo project James Beastly in 2020, stepping out with his debut LP Illusionland and later following it with Junk Values in 2023. Both albums established him as an artist able to balance edge and elegance, bringing together the emotional side of punk with the melodic appeal of indie pop.

Now, James Beastly is ready to make an emphatic return with We Should Be Animals, his highly anticipated and perhaps most ambitious record thus far. Set to drop on the 20th of March, the album arrives as a vivid exploration of the wildness within, pairing crunch-driven indie rock energy with moments of dreamlike contemplation. It’s an album about survival, identity and surrender, not to chaos so much, but to pure instinct. As its title suggests, he embraces the animalistic side of human nature, stripping away anything pre-concieved to reveal something primal and truly real.

The record’s origins, fittingly, come from the flames, literally; in January 2025, amid the devastating Los Angeles fires, James reached out to his longtime friend and former drummer Jeff Andrews to offer refuge in his San Francisco studio. Jeff’s escape from danger set off a chain reaction neither could have predicted and what started as an impromptu reunion quickly turned into a creative awakening, drawing in a wide array of musicians from wildly different worlds including classical, jazz, electronic pop and punk spheres.

The ten-track album kicks off with the driving indie rock scene of opening track “Spring Violets” which launches straight into an uplifting soundscape of steady chords, pattering drums and airy synth leads. With James’ expressive voice gliding in to spin smooth melodic leads above, he casts a catchy slice of new wave-tinged music that’s invigorating and memorable from start to finish.

“Fear Of Joy” dials back the energy with the delicate twang of soft guitar notes, mellow taps of drums and elegant flutter of strings to form an emotive country-inflected jam that’s blissfully melodic, moving and original all at once. “The Defeatist” crashes into focus with charging guitars, stretched synth textures and punching drums to form a burst of moody energy before simmering down to leave space for hushed vocals, serving up a gripping musical voyage packed full of slick ebb and flow.

Other highlights on the album come with tracks like “Persona Non Grata” with its shuffling drums and hazy guitars capped by compelling vocals carrying bouncy melodies to craft a grooving, pop-inflected indie rock jam. “White Dwarf” lays down a buoyant outing brimming with rolling rhythmic energy, infectious melodic writing and zappy synth tones, surging towards a transportive finale where rustling drums and lively sax leads deliver a lasting impression of the song.

Closing the record with “Oh! Mockingbird,” James presents a lo-fi piece of stripped back folk pop where his soft voice flows alongside the gentle flicker of acoustic guitar to deliver a mellow finale to his superb third album. Once again crafting a thoroughly enjoyable and musically diverse release, James Beastly is sure to charm countless new listeners around the world with his upcoming full-length release.

Listen to James Beastly’s Top Tracks below