How To Be A Human Being

Glass Animals

2016

3.07

Rating

Votes

20%

48%

22%

Distribution

Rock

User Submitted Album

Album Summary

How to Be a Human Being is the second studio album by English indie rock group Glass Animals. It was released on 26 August 2016 by Wolf Tone and Caroline International in Europe, and Harvest Records in the United States. Each of the eleven songs throughout the album represent a different person and their experiences. The album received generally favourable reviews from music critics, who complimented its "sense of wonder" and "immediate impression", but felt it was somewhat premature. The album was nominated for the 2017 Mercury Prize. Following the release of their debut studio album Zaba, Glass Animals began an aggressive tour which saw them play over 140 concerts in Europe, Australia, the United States and Mexico. They appeared at Glastonbury, Falls Music Festival and Southbound in 2014, Coachella, Wakarusa, Bonnaroo, Firefly, Glastonbury again, Lollapalooza, Osheaga and Reading and Leeds in 2015, and the Forecastle Festival in 2016. How to Be a Human Being was simultaneously announced with the release of "Life Itself" and its respective music video. The foursome toured Australia for their second time, before they returned to North America for the album's release. Four days after the album was released, the band appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, their third appearance on primetime television. The band wrote eleven songs based on eleven different characters, many of which were inspired by people they met and stories they were told during their travels while promoting Zaba. Each character was portrayed on the album cover, and some appeared in music videos for their respective songs.

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Oct 24 2025 Author

The music of Glass Animals has a distinctive own sound. If a song works, that's a plus, but if not, it takes the surrounding tracks with it. Most of the material is at least ok, so no complaints from me. It results a good indie pop album with a concept that can be ignored if you are not into concepts (11 songs about 11 people as portraited on the cover).

Nov 03 2025 Author

This was in heavy rotation for me for several years after it came out. I love it and it's still and absolute jam. Does it *deserve* to be on this list? Does one *need* to hear it before they die? IDK, the original list has like 15 Bruce Springsteen albums on it and then this fan-created list went ahead and added *several* more. So sure.

Nov 03 2025 Author

Sounds like indie rock band Glass Animals

Oct 25 2025 Author

Not my style. I'm too old to understand this new pop rock stuff. Indie is always hit or miss with me. This one just missed the mark. Similar to alt-J or OneRepublic. It sounds the same to me as the rest of the music being made today. Favorite songs: Life Itself, Pork Soda, Poplar St Least favorite songs: Season 2 Episode 3, [Premade Sandwiches], Mama's Gun 2/5

Oct 27 2025 Author

One of my favorites of all time. Thanks for adding!

Nov 06 2025 Author

Heard their hits before but I really dig this style. Cool stuff.

Dec 17 2025 Author

10/10 I’m pretty familiar with this album already, tho I wish I’ve heard any of their other stuff because this is such a treat for the ears all these songs are so well written, with loads of ear candy throughout I couldn’t recommend this album enough :D

Nov 10 2025 Author

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Life itself, Mama’s gun, Poplar st

Nov 11 2025 Author

Interesting album, with lots of variation

Nov 23 2025 Author

Entertaining album - I recall listening to Glass Animals years ago but didn’t recall hearing any of this album. I’d happily listen again to this and would not have regretted purchasing the CD back in the day.

Dec 02 2025 Author

If I had a nickel for every song I know that was entitled "Pork Soda," I'd have 2 nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice. Seriously, I was expecting a cover of Primus, and instead got some straight-up funk. I felt the titles got to be a bit superfluous ("Season 2, Episode 3"), which can be a bit frustrating at times. You want more insight to the song, and the title doesn't help. Still, songs like "Cane Shuga" and "The Other Side of Paradise"... you couldn't help but bop your head to it. Strong outing from the band, I really dug this.

Dec 04 2025 Author

I really liked this a lot. While it's a sound with a lot of precedent and fellow travelers, it blends indie rock with more electronica/trance/trip hop kind of elements in a really interesting way, and they kept taking it in directions I didn't expect.

Dec 19 2025 Author

Indie pop, indie rock, electronic rock, R&B, hip hop, trip hop, psychedelic pop. Me ha gustado. Un 4.

Oct 28 2025 Author

This should be more up my alley but I just don't really enjoy it. My personal rating: 3/5 My rating relative to the list: 3/5 Should this have been included on the original list? No.

Nov 04 2025 Author

Not bad

Nov 05 2025 Author

I agree there is room on the list for glass animals. I just wouldn’t rave about it myself

Nov 10 2025 Author

Sounds like something I would have listened to in 2016, oh wait

Nov 16 2025 Author

Indie pop with a defined sound and at least a few good tunes

Nov 25 2025 Author

Decent indie pop with some interesting beats and large sound. Produced well and mostly enjoyable. Saw them live at NOS Alive 2025 in Lisbon, they were pretty cool live, but not really for me.

Nov 27 2025 Author

Fine stuff 3

Dec 01 2025 Author

Pleasantly presented. Has a unique rhythm which was not difficult to enjoy

Dec 04 2025 Author

Remember when this dropped and had the indie pop world in its clutches for about half a year. I enjoyed this LP at the time and still do now, though I think some of its personality was inflated by my nostalgia – some of the tracks get pretty samey on the back half. That being said, this is still a wonderfully vibrant album that feels intentional and alive. Wrapping the dark, sultry themes of the band's debut in warmer, poppier instrumentation (with a heavy dose of synths) is a winning combo that gives this LP a distinct sonic flair even today. It still stands apart from other indie pop contributions of the time – even if the band will never revisit this space in favor of selling out for the nth remix of 'Heatwaves,' this album and 'Zaba' still warrant them mention in the 2010s indie compendium.

Dec 10 2025 Author

Nice alternativeish pop with some creative production choices

Dec 15 2025 Author

Not nearly as good as the debut, the album still has some interesting moment. The production and style is uniquely Glass Animals. 3.5/5

Dec 18 2025 Author

fun album. IDK if I'm cool enough to appreciate it though. it doesnt speak to me directly, 3 stars.

Dec 22 2025 Author

I find this guy’s voice annoying. More the way he sings than his actual voice. The production complements it well, but it’s too saccharine for me. I feel as if they are under the impression that their lyrics are a lot cooler than they actually are. The concept is nice. I don’t enjoy it. 3/5

Dec 25 2025 Author

I like the concept ok and some of the songs are pretty good, but overall an uneven experience. Like being human, I suppose.

Nov 03 2025 Author

I tried, but didn't much care for this. 2 stars.

Nov 14 2025 Author

Not really for me. A bit meh

Nov 29 2025 Author

Heat Waves is one of the worst pop songs of the 2020s, but this was nearly half a decade earlier, so let's give it a fair shake here. Finished the album, and it really isn't anything special. Is it terrible? No, but it's awfully sterile, and none of its quirks feel genuine. There were some decent songs, but then it would throw in a weird part that just made the whole song clunky. Would rather not listen to this again, may make me dislike it more.

Dec 02 2025 Author

I know I don't love indie rock (or pop) and I feel like I tried to keep an open mind. But I found all the synth and video game be bopping irritating. I tried listening to this album a couple weeks ago and had to go to something else - couldn't deal with it. I finally came back to it, and same thing. I put the volume down real low so it was less in my face. It didn't help me enjoy what I was doing. I'll give a nod to Poplar St. Otherwise, I'm going to try and forget about this album.

Dec 24 2025 Author

How To Be A Human Being is music that goes nowhere and does nothing of note. It just blended into the background, I'm sure it interests someone, but it bored me. 2.