Animal Collective

This September, four animals named Avey Tare, Panda Bear, Deakin and the Geologist will give the indie-loving masses a bit of Strawberry Jam. Now, that might sound a little "Cuckoo," but it's riled the psych-folk crowds into a fervor.

If you understood that garble of bad puns and seeming nonsense, you're clearly an Animal Collective fan and excited about the band's 8th album (their first for Domino after a long stint with Paw Tracks), Strawberry Jam. You probably know that the track list for the album--and, shh, don't tell the RIAA, the album itself--surfaced on the internet recently, which included several jams they've been pumping in live shows as far back as 2005. For you law-abiding citizens, several of the tracks are available on live bootlegs .

Fan favorite "Cuckoo Cuckoo" makes the cut, an acid trip caught in a music box with brief glimpses of clarity. So do "Peacebone" (a song full of twinkling electronics underneath dense lyrics that evoke childhood uncertainty) and "Fireworks" (a hauntingly beautiful song that combines Geologist's electronics with Panda Bear's sharp drumming that really feels like lying on a beach and watching bottle rockets explode as the tide rises).

The musical route that brought Animal Collective to Strawberry Jam is a strange ramble through varying sounds. 2000's Spirit They're Gone, Spirit They've Vanished kicks off the journey. That album opened with a five minute blast of noise that verges on grating at
times, but softens enough to remain interesting. The next track, "April and the Phantom," is the standout on Spirit, introducing several recurring Animal Collective themes. The group pairs sharp acoustic guitar strumming and whispery drumming with stabs of electronic arpeggios. Avey Tare's screams accentuate the chorus, his obtuse lyrics yelping and howling over the melody.

The recently re-released Hollinndagain came next, full of high-pitched chants, raucous, snapping drums and electronic experimentation. "Here Comes the Indian" continued the neo-tribal feel, shifting between brief, chaotic chant-alongs and longer, atmospheric pieces. One look at the album cover introduces the listener to the sound: strange strands of bright colors streaming through forest foliage in odd patterns that meld into nature itself (much like their sound experimentation). The squeals and screams of "Hey Light" are the centerpiece of the album, accentuated by explosive cymbal crashes and a layer of fuzz over the vocals.

2004's Sung Tongs took a hard turn from the noisier side of Animal Collective's early experiments. "Leaf House" opens the album, exemplifying this change. The unpredictable harsh screams and chanting have suddenly been brought together like a symphony, each wordless shout serving a clear, direct purpose and fitting together intricately. "Who Could Win a Rabbit" turns the woodsy chants into Beach Boys harmonies. "Winter's Love" is an absolute masterpiece, simultaneously sprawling (its two halves, one instrumental, the other full of vocal harmony, clock in at nearly seven minutes) and precise. "Kids on Holiday" is a moody piece that combines a look at the world through a child's eyes and intense adult paranoia.


2005's Feels is often cited as the career-maker, the magnum opus that solidifies the band in indie music legend. It definitely finds the band with a more controlled, polished sound, taking the chaos of prior albums and compressing it into more accessible song structures. A perfect example of this would be "Grass," a song with a chorus composed of Avey Tare's screams. "The Purple Bottle" is a masterfully charming song full of clumsy declarations of love, and spitfire, swooning vocals. When Avey cries out about his "crush high" fueled by his love's knowledge of Chinese Ballet and stories about her brother, its entirely believable and, more than that, understandable. "Daffy Duck" and "Loch Raven" sit somewhere at the other end of the spectrum. "Raven" seems a particularly strong set-up for Strawberry Jam, an often sparse, atmospheric, smooth piece that seems to lack the punch and climax of earlier songs on the album.

Animal Collecitve's history is full of twists and turns, experiments ranging from the obtuse and relaxed to the pointed and aggressive. Nearly any music fan will find an Animal Collective song they can't get enough of. Heck, maybe a whole album. Just don't give up if the first song you try doesn't fit your fancy. Dig a bit deeper.

by Adam Kivel

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