Animal Collective

BottleUpAndEssplode · 08-09-2010, 06:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clutnuckle

I don't dislike it as much as Strawberry Jam, but my gripe with it is that, in older Animal Collective material, the best songs were the ones that grew overtime. Most Danse Manatee songs are fairly abrupt and don't move much, making most songs pretty passable. Still better than SJ, though.

Oh ok I can see your point of view there I suppose but you hate SJ? That's probably their second best! What makes you hate SJ? You know seeing as how you like the songs to grow over time I bet you really like them live right?

Also I was listening to Campfire Songs last night again and I have to say what a beautiful, peaceful album although at points there's this kind of sinister tone lurking beneath which I like.

clutnuckle · 08-09-2010, 07:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BottleUpAndEssplode

Oh ok I can see your point of view there I suppose but you hate SJ? That's probably their second best! What makes you hate SJ? You know seeing as how you like the songs to grow over time I bet you really like them live right?

Also I was listening to Campfire Songs last night again and I have to say what a beautiful, peaceful album although at points there's this kind of sinister tone lurking beneath which I like.

I wouldn't say I hate SJ. I hate it in comparison to say Sung Tongs (my favorite AnCo release and one of my favorite records of all-time), but not in general. The reasons I dislike SJ were summed up in my review for it on RYM:

Quote:

People who like to deceptively hail this as Animal Collective's best work are either liars or they simply haven't any Sung Tongs in their diets. It's the most throwaway compilation of tunes the group ever produced together. It's not bad, no, but it in no way deserves any praise. It's very passable, and while three to four songs on here are actually quite good and one is among my favorite Animal Collective songs, this as an entity has no cohesiveness, and it's really just a bunch of good enough ideas stapled together and given an album cover that looks like throw-up.

I was talking earlier about those who claim this is Animal Collective's best effort. Most tend to claim this album is some sort of 'balance' between the experimental Animal Collective and the MPP-and-onward Animal Collective. If any album fits that moniker, it's Feels, and I would still be tempted to argue otherwise. Feels, like MPP, has atmosphere; that constant feeling of submersion and life that springs out of songs like "My Girls" and "Banshee Beat" makes the albums somewhat adventurous. Strawberry Jam has nothing going for it. It's not experimental. It's pop music in the same way that MPP is pop music, just with less texture and overall promise. Absolutely void of any groundbreaking or earth-shattering qualities, and even as a pop album (which could have been great in its own right), it's sparsely catchy or intriguing and remains the most inconsistent and poorly arranged Animal Collective album out there.

But of course, this isn't bad, and tracks 1-4 sort of validate that. However, none of these songs say "WE'RE ANIMAL COLLECTIVE SONGS FROM THE ALBUM STRAWBERRY JAM!". They all say "WE'RE ANIMAL COLLECTIVE SONGS." A few even say "WE'RE SONGS BY A BAND THAT ENJOY EXTENSIVE AND SOMEWHAT UNCREATIVE USE OF SAMPLERS." They bounced back on MPP, and really, I wish you'd all stop pretending that Strawberry Jam offers something special. From MPP, take away the reverb, the catchy hooks, the majority of the substance, the cohesiveness, and you have Strawberry Jam. I don't exactly know where it came from -- I happen to like Feels and MPP. Hopefully this is just a blip in the system.

I will say, however, that "Unsolved Mysteries" is one of my favorite AnCo songs. Basically, tracks 1-4 on that album are great, and then that completely halts when the dreaded "Fireworks" comes in (everybody seems to love this song though, so maybe I'm just irrationally hating it... Who knows).

I'm yet to hear Campfire Songs, though that description makes it sound like something I'd love. I have it downloaded, just need to get around to it...

Dayvan Cowboy · 08-09-2010, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by keith!

Pitchfork: Animal Collective's Avey Tare to Release First Solo Album

very very very exciting news.

we're getting both a panda bear and avey tare album this year.

EEEEE!!!!

clutnuckle · 08-09-2010, 08:07 AM

I hope his new album is exactly like the one he made with his wife.

With lyrics like "If I get hungry, I'll dig into the apples/Till you smack my hands up off of those apples", how can he fail?

BottleUpAndEssplode · 08-09-2010, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clutnuckle

I wouldn't say I hate SJ. I hate it in comparison to say Sung Tongs (my favorite AnCo release and one of my favorite records of all-time), but not in general. The reasons I dislike SJ were summed up in my review for it on RYM:

I will say, however, that "Unsolved Mysteries" is one of my favorite AnCo songs. Basically, tracks 1-4 on that album are great, and then that completely halts when the dreaded "Fireworks" comes in (everybody seems to love this song though, so maybe I'm just irrationally hating it... Who knows).

I'm yet to hear Campfire Songs, though that description makes it sound like something I'd love. I have it downloaded, just need to get around to it...

Fireworks is one of my favourite songs by them although I definately agree with you when you say that Strawberry Jam lacked the cohesiveness of albums like Sung Tongs. However that didn't really bother me too much just because all of the songs on Strawberry Jam are so brilliant but hey, each to his own I guess. My favourite song by them though is definately Loch Raven. It just sounds so ethereal and warm. Something about it just makes me feel so safe and all warm and fuzzy inside

. What's your favourite song by them?

You should definately check out Campfire Songs. Especially if Sung Tongs is your favourite, the two are kind of similar actually although Sung Tongs has more of a winter feel whereas Campfire Songs has a 'thunderstorm on a summer night' kind of feel. Oh and I bet you'd love Young Prayer by Panda Bear as well if you haven't already checked that out.

clutnuckle · 08-09-2010, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BottleUpAndEssplode

Fireworks is one of my favourite songs by them although I definately agree with you when you say that Strawberry Jam lacked the cohesiveness of albums like Sung Tongs. However that didn't really bother me too much just because all of the songs on Strawberry Jam are so brilliant but hey, each to his own I guess. My favourite song by them though is definately Loch Raven. It just sounds so ethereal and warm. Something about it just makes me feel so safe and all warm and fuzzy inside

. What's your favourite song by them?

You should definately check out Campfire Songs. Especially if Sung Tongs is your favourite, the two are kind of similar actually although Sung Tongs has more of a winter feel whereas Campfire Songs has a 'thunderstorm on a summer night' kind of feel. Oh and I bet you'd love Young Prayer by Panda Bear as well if you haven't already checked that out.

"Loch Raven" is a great song, I know what you mean about that feeling. In the dark wrapped in a blanket, few songs come close to it.

Picking a single song is kind of tough. Admittedly I'm a Sung Tongs fanboy so "Visiting Friends" and "Good Lovin' Outside" rank extremely high, but "Banshee Beat" held the position for a while. "My Girls", "Infant Dressing Table", "Unsolved Mysteries" and even "Daffy Duck" hold the title sometimes. I guess "Visiting Friends" is still number one, but there are quite a few that have gotten pretty close to it in my heart.

I have Young Prayer. It's a great album, although I surprisingly think Person Pitch is even better (considering my whole bias to acoustic Animal Collective).

BottleUpAndEssplode · 08-09-2010, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clutnuckle

"Loch Raven" is a great song, I know what you mean about that feeling. In the dark wrapped in a blanket, few songs come close to it.

Picking a single song is kind of tough. Admittedly I'm a Sung Tongs fanboy so "Visiting Friends" and "Good Lovin' Outside" rank extremely high, but "Banshee Beat" held the position for a while. "My Girls", "Infant Dressing Table", "Unsolved Mysteries" and even "Daffy Duck" hold the title sometimes. I guess "Visiting Friends" is still number one, but there are quite a few that have gotten pretty close to it in my heart.

I have Young Prayer. It's a great album, although I surprisingly think Person Pitch is even better (considering my whole bias to acoustic Animal Collective).

All of those songs are fantastic. I can't say Daffy Duck is one of my favourites though. I mean its still a great song but I'd say its the worst on Feels.

You can't deny the brilliance of Person Pitch. I'm so excited for his new album Tomboy especially after watching his set on Pitchfork's website. I was loving the whole visual thing he was doing which reminds me ODDSAC comes out tomorrow. YES. I've preordered it so it should arrive tomorrow along with the free poster that comes with it. I'm just as excited for Avey Tare's new album as well. This is such a good time to be an Animal Collective fanboy

.

keith! · 08-09-2010, 10:49 AM

I also pre-ordered it...but i'm not sure if mine will arrive tomorrow :c

oh well. there's an audio rip of it going around and i'm really digging it. Can't wait to see the visuals as well

BottleUpAndEssplode · 08-09-2010, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by keith!

I also pre-ordered it...but i'm not sure if mine will arrive tomorrow :c

oh well. there's an audio rip of it going around and i'm really digging it. Can't wait to see the visuals as well

Yeah I saw that audio rip but it was pretty poor quality so I told myself I'm going to wait until I can hear the music along with the visuals. I'm not sure if mine will arrive tomorrow either. I was just being really optimistic

. Although I did get an email saying it had been dispatched so fingers crossed.

cardboard adolescent · 08-09-2010, 12:24 PM

ODDSAC was decent, really anti-cathartic though, which bothered me a bit. A few of the scenes were really amazing, one felt like they were tearing apart reality.

08-09-2010, 08:07 AM	#314 (permalink)
clutnuckle Music Addict Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: -_-_-_-_~__~-~_-`_`-~_-`-~-~ Posts: 1,276	I hope his new album is exactly like the one he made with his wife. With lyrics like "If I get hungry, I'll dig into the apples/Till you smack my hands up off of those apples", how can he fail?

08-09-2010, 10:49 AM	#318 (permalink)
keith! Music Addict Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Canada Posts: 287	I also pre-ordered it...but i'm not sure if mine will arrive tomorrow :c oh well. there's an audio rip of it going around and i'm really digging it. Can't wait to see the visuals as well

08-09-2010, 12:24 PM	#320 (permalink)
cardboard adolescent ;) Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: CA Posts: 3,503	ODDSAC was decent, really anti-cathartic though, which bothered me a bit. A few of the scenes were really amazing, one felt like they were tearing apart reality.