This happens to me a lot, discovering a band only once they’re already a couple of albums into their career, and that was the case again with Wynona Bleach. Despite having come across the name before, it wasn’t until they appeared on the Joyzine review list that I actually sat down and listened to them properly. So second album Animal Style became my first real outing into the world of the Irish alternative rock band.
Recorded in a dusty disused ballroom above a working men’s club in Belfast, Animal Style feels atmospheric from the very beginning. Mixing grunge, shoegaze, goth and alternative rock influences, Wynona Bleach create a sound that feels equally suited to sweaty club dancefloors and solitary late-night walks home. The album carries a constant tension between vulnerability and emotional chaos, balancing huge distorted guitars with moments that feel melodic, nostalgic and euphoric.
Lead single ‘Be Positive’ sets the tone perfectly. Opening with crunching guitars, dramatic drums and soaring vocals, it balances heaviness with an almost uplifting energy. There’s obvious love for 90s grunge and shoegaze here, but it never feels overly nostalgic or derivative. Instead, Wynona Bleach give those influences a sharper, more emotionally restless edge.
A lot of the album seems preoccupied with uncertainty, identity and unhealthy attachment. ‘Religion’ turns romantic obsession into something almost devotional, repeating “you make me want religion” with a desperation that feels both euphoric and unsettling. The repeated chant of “post punks on coke” adds another layer of chaos to one of the album’s catchiest tracks.
One of the standout moments is ‘Not Cool With It’, which wraps emotional confusion and dissatisfaction inside an incredibly danceable disco-rock groove. It’s easily one of the most infectious songs on the record while still carrying a lingering discomfort underneath. Similarly, ‘Gonk’ combines driving riffs with darker lyrical undertones, while ‘Shrink’ leans further into anxiety and emotional self-destruction.
Elsewhere, tracks like ‘Binx’ and ‘One in a Million’ reveal a softer, more vulnerable side to the band. Even at their most melodic though, there’s still a tension running beneath the surface, as if everything could fall apart at any second. What makes Animal Style work so well is how naturally Wyona Bleach move between styles and moods without losing their identity. One moment the album feels dreamy and romantic, the next abrasive and confrontational, yet it all remains cohesive. It’s messy, dramatic, loud and emotionally conflicted in all the right ways.
Animal Style is out now and you can buy it on Bandcamp
Wynona Bleach Socials- Facebook/Instagram
Review by Hayley Foster da Silva
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