Debut album release from the band. As for “Inner Animals,” the first thing that comes to mind is the band’s sense of youthful charm. Using balloons and bright, refreshing colors for the cover art, the band’s cheery outlook shines through before even hearing the tracks. “Like Me” opens the album perfectly with a jolt of energy from the guitars and catchy pop hooks to keep the listener entertained. In fact, there is hardly a more precise term than catchy to describe the neatly refined riffs and choruses of the album. The group seems to have learned and developed the format quickly. Every song is somewhat of a journey, with more than enough textures to stay engaged. The jingling, sometimes roaring guitars are accompanied by lots of backing vocals and just the right amount of emphasis on the synthesizer riffs. Each movement of the music is well thought out, with tastefully repeated lyrical hooks and energetic, playful yelps. While the guitar parts may sound overly busy on first listen, they add many essential inflections to the music. The main aesthetic conveyed throughout “Inner Animals” is a feeling of being in motion. There are so many unexpected turns and breaks in the music that it’s impossible to ever feel bored. Coming in at about 40 minutes, the album provides enough new material to feel content, at least for now. One song did return from a previous release, however. “Move Yourself,” which was on 2008’s “Move” EP is a delight to hear in higher quality. By far one of the best Karate tracks to date, it almost singlehandedly displays what they are all about. Containing a complex song structure that somehow doesn’t confuse, it has catchy lyrics, a dance-oriented beat and all the variations in between loud and quiet, slow and fast. These elements all seem to pop up time and time again in their songs. One detour away from the typical is “Cooked Beats.” It features an extended electronic-drum intro, and the group keeps it very tame, refraining from any very serious release from soft to aggressive. It would be exciting to hear them venture beyond their usual style like this more often. The album is fun overall and displays Karate Coyote’s fascination with sophisticated downward and upward passages, building and releasing tension often. For their first full-length, it sounds great. The energy is all there, and so is the passion. It will be interesting to see what direction they go in next. - Raad Shubaily (The Lantern) When the time came to record their debut full-length, the band realized that as a musical unit, they were in a similar spot. After two years of creative gestation, it was time to focus and pare down their oeuvre. What would this band sound like going forward? Their twentysomething lives remain in flux, but at least for 12 tracks they've come to a sonic consensus... Come close enough and you'll catch a whiff of '90s alt-rockers like Foo Fighters and Velocity Girl. Math-rock time signature trickery hides behind singalong melodies. There are traces of modern indie-rock touchstones like Broken Social Scene, a similarly sprawling, collaborative band Karate Coyote has always looked to as a model. The influence is particularly apparent in the three-way vocal interplay between Corlett, Horn and Kendra Jados, a combination that's also more than a little reminiscent of the B-52s. Chris Deville (Columbus Alive)