Ganser plays Vera on May 13th

Chicago art punks Ganser return with Animal Hospital, an album that turns everyday life into something sharper, stranger, and more vivid. Built from scattered observations and fleeting thoughts gathered in crowds, the record captures the surreal contradictions of modern existence, where beauty and absurdity constantly collide. It’s a collection of songs that doesn’t just reflect the world, but reframes it through rhythm, tension, and movement.

On Animal Hospital, core members Alicia Gaines, Brian Cundiff, and Sophie Sputnik push their sound into new territory while staying grounded in propulsive, hypnotic patterns. The band thrives on contrasts: pounding drums, restless basslines, jagged guitars, and synth textures that soften the edges just enough to keep the pulse alive. It’s music that feels equally suited for a dance floor or a city sidewalk, driven by repetition and release.

Tracks like “Black Sand” explode with swirling guitars and commanding drums, building toward a feverish intensity as Sputnik delivers sharp, taunting vocals. “stripe” shifts into a slower, seductive groove, highlighting the dynamic interplay between the band’s vocalists and the layered percussion work. Elsewhere, the dreamy lift of “Grounding Exercises” and the raw punk surge of “Half Plastic” show Ganser at their most versatile, balancing atmosphere with aggression in constant push and pull.

Recorded at Jamdek Studios with Doug Malone, with additional sessions at Electrical Audio, and produced alongside longtime collaborator Angus Andrew (Liars), the album feels like a fully realized statement. Drawing from ideas written as far back as 2020, Ganser shape these songs into something both immediate and carefully crafted—haunting, physical, and alive with contradiction.

On May 13th, Ganser will play at Vera in Groningen