Fragile Animals channel longing and light on Tourist EP
Australian dream-pop outfit Fragile Animals return with Tourist, a six-track EP that deepens their sound with heavier textures, expanded space, and emotional clarity. Following their acclaimed 2023 full-length Slow Motion Burial, Tourist marks a significant leap for the band.
Produced by: Fragile Animals
Building on the success of earlier releases, Fragile Animals continue to carve their space within modern shoegaze. Victoria Jenkins’ vocals guide the listener through hazy guitars, shimmering tremolo, and melancholic bass lines, bringing emotional nuance to the collection. Each track presents a new vantage point on memory, isolation, and the quiet ache of trying to feel seen.
The EP opens with ‘People I’ll Never Know,’ a brief yet impactful meditation on the lives that intersect with ours only in passing. From there, the title track ‘Tourist’ stands as a centerpiece, anchored by a driving bass line, atmospheric guitar layers, and Jenkins’ reflection on how we perceive others and ourselves through imperfect lenses.
Recorded in part during nocturnal studio sessions and intimate vocal takes, the EP captures both urgency and vulnerability. On ‘Sending Flares,’ Jenkins sings with raw honesty, delivering a performance filled with sorrow and strength. Baritone guitar rhythms and airy leads add emotional depth to the song, making it a standout on the project.
Tracks like ‘Into It’ and ‘Worldview’ juxtapose despair with resilience, layering baritone guitar lines with cavernous reverb and lyrical introspection. The latter, a tension-laced dream-pop anthem, balances informed pessimism with a desperate plea for beauty amid global chaos. ‘Allergic’ closes the EP with a burst of energy and intensity, channeling empathy into sound. The bass and drums drive forward as swirling guitars and snare rolls amplify a message of shared emotional experience.
Victoria says:
“I was really fascinated with the thought that we’re all kind of all tourists in each other’s lives, perceiving each other with varying degrees of accuracy. Much like when a tourist visits a place and their experience shapes their reality of the place. But truthfully, they’re only seeing a portion of that reality. I think that’s how we experience everything in life. The people we know, the places we visit, our entire experience of the world is that of a tourist. It’s unsettling, but also quite a romantic thought. I find it beautiful that we can feel so strongly about someone or something alongside an awareness of how flawed the representation of it could be.”
With Tourist, Fragile Animals strike a rare balance—maintaining the brooding beauty of shoegaze while embracing openness, honesty, and emotional accessibility. It’s an EP that explores the quiet complexities of connection and the fragile joy of trying to belong, even when everything feels fleeting.
Standout Songs: ‘Tourist,’ ‘Into It,’ and ‘Worldview.’
Release Date: July 4, 2025
6.4
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