[real slippi]

Like any of the stuff I hear live first, jimmy might take a little while for my to appreciate the studio version as much as the live radio sessions version. Didn't like the 80s sounding intro at first but it's grown on me. For the most part, I think they did a good job st the nearly impossible task of not losing that live energy.

PM- getting some cool 90s r&b type vibes from the chords used on this one. Love all of the sounds used in this song and just the sonic s in general.

GK- that chorus. The most PW-esque one here. Sounds or themes from burglars, summing, and spilling guts all appear in one way or another on this one to my ears. Super catchy one the stays in my head afterwards.

Bonkers- might be my favorite just because I love aveys vocal delivery and the "instrument" in the background which basically sound like vocal samples used as an instrument. The sparse arrangement is nice.

[octobear]

For those off-put by the 'Hocketing' sound: Have you considered it as a representation of vocal sounds during hallucinatory consciousness? It sounds identical to me to regular vocal tracks when I am on high dose psychedelics. "I hear it doubly clear."

Considering the likely mental state of primitives (sleep deprived, infected, hungry, hallucinating) and the fact that this Painting With era music draws inspiration from these primitives' experience of sound/music-- it's a pretty fascinating and creative way to explore both the permanent Animal Collective theme of sound in psychedelic/hallucinatory mindstate AND this primitive inspiration through music.

[dio]

^thats sick. also realized the chorus-y part of PM does some cool stuff with layered voicings that none of the other pb tracks on PW do, so ya its pretty unique.

edit sorry

[jetski]

We get it man you like Goalkeeper

[rampface]

I dig the hocketing as long as it is exclusive to this era

[lucasmoreira]

I think peacemaker could be so much beautiful with him singing that melody instead of doing the hocketing thing...

[TetsuoUnderFire]

lucasmoreira wrote:

I think peacemaker could be so much beautiful with him singing that melody instead of doing the hocketing thing...

Yeah the hocketing on Peacemaker feels out of place. Also, I can't help but feel the vocal range doesn't suit them well either, or the arrangement of the song. It sounds too derived and uninspired.

[false9]

daily routine would suck with hocketing

[Hash]

TetsuoUnderFire wrote:

But the hook/bridge whatever you want to call it (Feel me feel you feel your heart shine, unity of all kind) is great.

Isn't that basically the chorus?

They don't return to the "kinda bonkers, really bonkers" section so it seems the most like a bridge to me



I guess "hook" and "chorus" are practically synonymous though

[Hash]

The hocketing in this era is way too on-the-nose compared to pretty much everything they've done in the past. I don't think there's something on they do on another album that's so distinctive and also appears on like half of the songs or more. Like if the Whaddit I Done wah-wah effect was on every second track on Sung Tongs or something. Maybe I'm forgetting something though. It just ends up sounding like a gimmick to me.

[jfw7]

Hash wrote:

Maybe I'm forgetting something though

whisper lyrics on Feels

[Hash]

Hmmm... Did You See the Words, Tikwid, Loch Raven, Purple Bottle, Flesh Canoe, Banshee Beat, Daffy Duck... I guess you're right.

There's also lots of counterpoint sort of melodies and/or delayed harmonies on the MPP tracks like My Girls, Guys Eyes, Taste, Lion in a Coma, No More Runnin, I Think I Can... I don't think either of those are as pronounced though. But that's pretty subjective.

It seems like more of a Panda thing to me. Like every song on Tomboy is arranged the same way with the multitracked two part homophonic vocals.

[Vovenarg]

i like the variety of how the "hocketing" is used. variations on a theme... very satisfying to me.

[GiftHorse]

Thoughts on The Painters!
AC EPs are some of my favorite releases (FALL BE KIND still reigns supreme) so it's always a pleasure to add a victory lap onto a great album cycle. I find Painting With totally fascinating and endlessly playable, so to get a little alternate mini-experience of that lp is so generous (as the boys always are!).
Kinda Bonkers- Avey's message of unity amid confusion is so welcome at this time. His emotional vocal tone is similar to Bagels, with the music's groove suggesting Panda's gentle influence. The whole "bonkers" thing is another silly Avey refrain that plays a bit awkward (I keep hearing "man this earth is Willy Wonkas" ) but it's saved by the brevity of the composition.
Peacemaker- good panda viiibes, killer bassline. Reminds me of the original version of Song for Ariel. I agree the hocket vocal on this one is a bit less inspired, but like the other PB jams I couldn't really imagine a "regular" vocal take of it having the same impact or rhythmic complexity. Like the man said, they wanted a "homogenic" quality to the record, and Panda's always going for a more spectral or even post-human presence on record; this was his creative guideline for his songwriting. Still, waiting for this one to grow on me.
Goalkeeper- WoOoOOoOoah. Goes to dive as he blocks as kicks as he throws. First few listens were a mess, but the gorgeous tangle of melodies and counterpoints emerge from another impeccable production-mix by Sonny DiPerri. Thrilling!
Jimmy Mack- Absolute joy. You can tell Avey has this song imbedded in his DNA since childhood, this feels like such a great release to manifest his version of what is clearly one of his favorite songs. Personally I didn't really love it in tthe live show (used as a transition from a too-short Alvin Row seemed to shortchange both songs), but this is such a triumph on record, and a righteous debut for Jeremy on drums.

[Andrew_VB]

i wish i could go back in time to before donald trump was president and anyone knew what the word "hocketing" meant.

[BlueRodland]

false9 wrote:

daily routine would suck with hocketing

oh god you're right

[Hash]

If they just kept it to "up-up un-un e-e ven-ven step-steps and-and talk-talk ing-ing's hard" it would be fine but I guess that's more like delay than hocketing

[doggyinacoma]

I can't seem to get into the beginning of Goalkeeper, and I'm really not about the slappy bass sound... but my god the chorus is tremendous.

again, i pretty much hate the slappy farty bass sound, but the fact that the chorus is so amazing and it only happens twice in the song makes GK so replayable.

[joby]

gonna throw my hat in the ring on this and say that Kinda Bonkers into Peacemaker into Goalkeeper has to be some of my favorite AC. Really stoked on how much new sonic ground they manage to cover in just those three short songs. So many different places we haven't heard them go before. The hocketing feels perfect too. It bothered me at times on painting with (not like in general, just sometimes I'd get sick of it and then come back and like it), but the way its used on Peacemaker just feels really special.

TBH Jimmy Mack doesn't really do anything for me. Its kinda fun and bubbly when taken in context I guess.... It just doesn't get to me. Not saying its a bad song... Its just not my taste.

Love this release. As a painter, I'm pretty happy with the album titles from this cycle obvs ^__^

[joby]

doggyinacoma wrote:

I can't seem to get into the beginning of Goalkeeper, and I'm really not about the slappy bass sound... but my god the chorus is tremendous.

again, i pretty much hate the slappy farty bass sound, but the fact that the chorus is so amazing and it only happens twice in the song makes GK so replayable.

I'm totally on board with the farty slappy bass sounds and the beginning of the song, that being said, it is CRIMINAL that that chorus only drops twice!

[Fovrodi]

The bass more sounds like a really low key on a piano to me

[kafkaesque]

haven't been able to get jimmy mack out of my head all day.

jimmy mack... jimmy! oh, jimmy mack.

[coral lord]

The end of Jimmy Mack sounds like the theme song in the Lon Lon Ranch in Ocarina of Time. There's this fake harmonica sound and the "ooh ooh ooh" singing.

[whereartesteban]

Can't stop listening to Peacemaker. Theres just something about it, the way the melody just keeps digging in... in love

hocketing is sacred

[tsurimin]

peacemaker has my favorite use of hocketing so far. it's so much more spacey and less dense than summing the wretch or hocus pocus and more beautiful

[ingenue]

"underwater show / i went to the bro / my head was exploding / said man this earth is really bonkers"

i keep picturing Dave at an aquarium tripping balls watching the fish and turning to a stranger next to him like, "kinda bonkers huh."

[thespectrum]

Goalkeeper has quickly become my favourite on this EP

[Stonewall Jackson]

Am I the only one reminded of Seinfeld whenever the bass kicks in on Goalkeeper?

[Fovrodi]

You're not

[dio]

weird the bass in GK would never make me think of seinfeld at all normally, i sorta see what yal mean when u mention it but it honestly sounds so different. idk, theres a ride bass setting on my keyboard that sounds exactly like the seinfeld bass and its not that. but i mean even if it did to me i think id be into that..

just seems like its some fucked with bass synth from the teenage engineering op-1 like most of the PW bass

[MarfaJazz]

Andrew_VB wrote:

goalkeeper sounds like it samples the seinfeld theme bass?

I came to say the same thing! My guess would be that they used the same synth/patch. The shaker rythm is also almost identical to the one used in Brother Sport, which would explain some of the comparisons.

Anyway, I liked PW a fair amount, certainly more than Centipede Hz, but these tracks are something else. I'm still iffy on Goalkeeper, but Kinda Bonkers and Peacemaker are better than half of what made it on the album. Same goes for JM, even though it's a cover.

I was expecting to not jive with this after the Gnip Gnop single, but they delivered.

[Panda Tatari]

I can sort of see where people are coming from, couple of listens I did not think of Seinfeld but as it has been made more aware I can see it but it seems similar but different to me

[clumsy342]

Peacemaker sounds cool sped up a bit.
Goalkeeper sounds cool slowed down a bit.

[terrestrialjane]

Kinda bonkers is already an instant ac classic ...

[samthefireball]

Yeah that seinfeld bassline is just ahhh. Also the melody of the verse in GK sounds unsatisfying on top of the chord. I love the fast melody in it though- I'm trying to be the goalie but I cant be the goalie but im doing the best that I can or something...

Jimmy Mack is one of my favorite things, and I can see them getting excited about it. Did you all notice that when they would play that live, Avey seemed by far the most stoked then he does for the rest??????

Agree that peacemaker is an interesting aquatic vibe. Could take a bath in some hot springs listening to it.

Kinda Bonkers- love the backing track. But probably won't get many replays.

Can't wait for a new era. I like to think Jimmy Mack is a springboard into somewhere new. Or like someone else said, lets return to nostalgia and slow down a bit and get some real emotions going.

[archie]

seinfeld was the korg m1 slapbass preset.. the one on goal keeper is more similar to the really slackstringy bass on recycling so im assuming its a modular synth patch from that ( also given the gear they were using in the studio ) .
ep is amazing though. really a different completely positive side. the maturity of content living has surpassed the bittersweetness of the 2000s era. like even a mellow slow song like peacemaker is almost literally making peace with low emotions. also wanna say how much the end of goalkeeper bounces around like vladislav delay anima. godbless this ep is so of the brain and the sunny heart

[Texas Trill]

Love your write up Archie! Spot on

[destiny]

every relisten i get closer to coming to terms with the fact that goalkeeper might be one of the greatest songs theyve ever created

[valar602]

archie wrote:

seinfeld was the korg m1 slapbass preset.. the one on goal keeper is more similar to the really slackstringy bass on recycling so im assuming its a modular synth patch from that ( also given the gear they were using in the studio ) .

That bass tone is from the OP1 (I know cause I own one). Its weird cause I hate that sound but it works with PW material really well.

[archie]

it sounds so organic (at least when i hear it in recycling). contexts