Jesse Hartman’s cult electro-pop project Laptop is back with “Additional Animals”, a track that’s as witty as it is catchy. Known for sharp humor and sleek synth-pop since the early 2000s, Laptop now teams up with Hartman’s 19-year-old son, Charlie, for a fresh yet familiar sound. This is the second single from their upcoming album “On This Planet’, following the viral hit “Weirder”. So, what’s the vibe? Imagine alt-disco dressed in irony, shimmering synths dancing alongside Mediterranean horns and a mandolin twist. It’s groovy, it’s playful, but beneath the surface lies something deeper: a commentary on human greed, extinction and that ridiculous hunger for “more”. Hartman calls it “a global pop fever dream about survival, meat, and the slightly hilarious fact that humans always want just a little more”. Production-wise, the track feels like an international adventure—recorded in Valencia, colored with Caribbean sounds in Nevis, then polished back in New York. Mixed by Grammy-winner Mario McNulty (David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails), it carries a rich, layered texture without losing Laptop’s signature minimal cool. Lyrically, it’s classic Laptop: clever, darkly funny, and surprisingly relatable. Musically, it’s a logical evolution—retro-inspired but modern, indie-pop with brains and bite. If “Weirder” hinted at a reboot, “Additional Animals” seals the deal: Laptop is back, smarter and groovier than ever, proving irony never goes out of style. A sly, stylish track that turns climate dread into a disco for the end times. If you like your pop intelligent and slightly twisted, this one’s for you.
♦ 8/10
Dimitris Zacharopoulos
