Kumiko

Anyway, Beach Bunny’s *Emotional Creature* is easily the band’s best written and performed work.

Although popular among fans, it is unknown by non-fans with much if *Honeymoon* and several singles being popular. That’s not to disparage their fantastic work on these songs, but they simply cannot compare to what Emotional Creature is as a statement

That statement being the experience of love. From borderline unhealthy obsession and infatuation to complete and utter despair of a broken heart, it covers all bases. Of course, every artist ever has made albums and songs surrounded by themes of love. But what Beach Bunny perfects is what love means, and how we grow from it.

Throughout the album, feelings of anxiety, love, heartbreak, obsession, depression are all processed and not merely stated. Each song adds onto one another. Sharing how complex this is. At the same time, we can hear Lili growing despite these mental struggles. One of the most notable songs is Weeds, one of my favorites from the album.

Our character is having anxiety and going through a depressive episode after a horrendous break-up, and believes life is simply over. Songs like *Deadweight,* much earlier in the album, reflect this sentiment. *Weeds* differs with its chorus though.

“Cause he’s not the problem”

“The problem is you think”

“You’re only viable for love when someone makes you feel complete”

“You’re a diamond”

“Wish you could see you the way I see”

“You can’t blossom if you keep growing gardens out of weeds”

This is growth. This is reflection that there’s more to us than some partner, despite the way we feel. It’s important to remind ourselves of that during hard times like the song is based in.

It isn’t just *Weeds* either. The entire album shows our character (I’ll just assume it’s Lili since typically these are her feelings and experiences placed into music) developing to have confidence in herself after a relationship. I can’t stress enough how much the album makes thus turn after 2/3 complete too. The Mellow turn their sound makes really adds to this “reflection” period after obsessive and anxious love and depressive heartbreak.

Towards the end, *Karaoke* offers us one final love song, where Lili is infatuated with another partner. But it takes a different tone than the beloved upbeat rock we see in the 2nd track *Oxygen.* It’s calmer. It’s less energetic. Because of this, the lyrics really shine, and her tone gives us this much deeper and rich presence of love than the songs at the start of the album. This is the matured version of our Lili. One that is cautious about love, but finds better confidence in herself and allows herself to love a but more freely and deeply, taking things slow rather than our hyper-fast paced love songs.

Finally, the album concludes with *Love Song*. A 5 minute love song with samples from *Eventually* and *Entropy* which are expertly and smoothly placed and transitioned to throughout the song. It closes the album as a reflective piece of the entirety of *Emotional Creature.* and it feels like closure, that we experienced what it means to love, and how to grow from it.

I will always love this band, and am excited to see where their latest, more rock focused songs from Tunnel Vision snd Year of the Optimist take them.