Animal Hospital

Having established themselves in the late 2010s with some excellent releases, Chicago’s Ganser went through lineup changes and other fits and starts before returning with a new full album in 2025, Animal Hospital, centered around the continuing rhythm section of Alicia Gaines and Brian Cundiff as well as new lead vocalist Sophie Sputnik. (Former member Charlie Landsman and Dove Hollis fill out things on guitar.) Kicking in with the careening drive and punch of “Black Sand,” Sputnik delivering her lines with coolly intense aplomb as she does throughout the album, the band’s sense of tightly wound 21st century post-punk remains pinpoint perfect. Ganser’s sense of commanding musical swagger remains fully present, as with the steady, entrancing build of “Discount Diamonds” and the haunted near-ballad “Speaking of the future,” both readily show. It could be the fact that there’s no central guitarist any more but the emphasis on space and depth in the arrangements is notable, with the lengthy “Left To Chance” being a clear standout, a slow, fascinating burn that just gets more wired as it goes.