[wilandhugs]

dio wrote:

Getting CD tomorrow!

I mean I could put mp3s on me.phone, but I want that disc

'19 Slayer was a bit more serene. But I love it. Maybe I'm just more mature now cuz I don't really much demoitis at all cuz I finally fully understand that I can just put on Blast sessions or Desert Daze whenever I want, like doy.

The album itself tho is a refined and incredibly flowing iteration of some of their best sets ever tho

I totally agree too, I listen to 2019 D Slayer all the time, it's great to me that we have the options and the variations. I love all 3 of them for what they are, maybe demoitis isn't the right word for it, but I think I like the studio the most of them all.

[conswaygo]

I always think of AC tracks as living breathing things that adapt depending on the setting/place in time. Having variations of them just makes me appreciate the track more. Thankful for not feeling the demotis since the MPP era.

[Jam]

have said this before, but while i agree with conswaygo's sentiment fully, it would be a lot easier for us all to feel that way if they were better about live boots. PW bandcamp boots makes me think we will be in good hands toward the end of this era, but the history is spotty between lack of official boots generally and the quality of them (9:30--good VS Ballet Slippers--mixed results)

[DownthereSwampthing]

After several listens, here's my attempt at a tier list:

S: Strung With Everything, Cherokee, Passer-by, Royal and Desire
A: Car Keys, Prester John, We Go Back
B: Dragon Slayer, Walker

This is about the range of quality I'd expect from any high quality AC release. I'm talking Spirit, Tongs, Feels, Strawberry Jam, and Merriweather. Centipede HZ had its S tier songs like Moonjock and Applesauce, but had even more B and even C tier songs that weighed it down. I don't think Painting With had a single S tier track, despite the live shows demonstrating that they did have that potential. I have loved so much of the band's output this past decade, including solo works, DJ sets, and visual albums, but even I have to admit that Time Skiffs has a somewhat vindicating quality to it. Yes, they really are that good. No, they never lost their touch. Their best years are still to come. I don't need the critics to back me up on this. The proof is right there in the musicianship. This is it. The best time to be an Animal Collective fan is now.

[floats]

Somehow I missed "Pandemic Dream #4" from Avey last year. Pretty cool.

Totally agree with how good it feels to be a fan atm. Skiffs, Skiffs 2, and so much solo stuff to look forward to soon. Their creative energy feels contagious and overflowing and I'm here for all of it

[Sputnik Monroe]

awesome wrote:

awesome wrote:

where are some more INTERVIEWS i wanna hear avey talk more about this album, and i don't think there've been any with panda yet

oh hey just found one with panda nice https://consequence.net/2022/02/animal- ... me-skiffs/


I've really been meaning to play Genshin Impact. Cool that Noah draws inspiration from video games. Would be cool if we got a Panda Bear soundtracked game. I imagine as they draw into their later years in life, we will be seeing them score more movies and do stuff like that. Really surprised more people don't approach Animal Collective for doing soundtracks.

[scrambledgreggs]

god-tier: Cherokee, Strung, We Go Back, Royal & Desire
top-tier: Walker, Passer-by, Dragon Slayer, Car Keys, Prester John

no lower tier for this album. I think PJ is likely my least favorite, though I always end up enjoying it much more than I think when it actually starts playing

[utensilvirus]

messed up

[utensilvirus]

wrote:

Also still funny to me Avey made Bolder a song about hornieness and fuckin a tender little song about listening to records and like time and memories and stuff.

I don't miss those lyrics much but I still might miss the lyrics of Passerby... Eh, if thats my only complaint then thumbs up boys.

They could always do an EP with Broke and Gem + old live soundboards of "Bolder" and "Old Passerby" just sayin!

Feeling the same way. Someone a ways back called them Avey sex jams -- I still have to throw on Derriere sometimes in place of KC Yours. I liked Bolder but I'm fine with We Go Back. Passerby's new lyrics are going to be harder for me to absorb. It was lyrically perfect in it's earlier iteration and I find my brain routing towards those words which means I've probably over-listened to those boots to tie me over the last couple of years awaiting Skiffs. Even when Avey changes the words for the recorded version, he manages to pull it off to satisfaction and meaning, although it may have shifted in time. Keeps it interesting I suppose and another reason the live performances can result in more unfolded uniqueness.

In listening to the rip a handful of times now, it's truly a beautiful record that has a nice flow. I can't wait to get my copy (on the FKCDING 7th). Looking forward to HQ tomorrow though for sure.

Is it too soon to be anxious about a companion EP? What's the label's cycle been with those releases after a LP release traditionally? I haven't been reading all of the interviews, but I don't think anyone's asked if they have extra songs recorded for B-sides or an EP or anything.

[zak]

DMed the writer.. the interview took place on 1/31 :\\\\\\ dang

[dio]

Without checking and mostly thinking of FBK and The Painters they seem to usually drop companion EPs slightly less than a full year later (FBK was dec. 09 right). So something in December or January '22 wouldn't be a stretch. For all we know thats what they polished in NYC in December, not Skiffs 2.

Could happen! Broke/Gem/Stride/Soul would be a fantastic lil companion, and I'd probably drop Broke b/w Passer-by and R&D sometimes.

Save the big nasty bad boys (Defeat, Magicians and Genie's too, why not) for next big, magnum opus tier LP tho

[scrambledgreggs]

this doesn't fit though - in the Blast sessions Deakin straight up listed all the songs they had yet to record, and said they would be recording them all "very very soon" and then they were in a studio for 17 days in Dec

so maybe there's even more material than we currently know about, and there's two albums' worth even after Skiffs?

[Jam]

this is what i keep coming back to -- yeah there's still the other skiffs 2 stuff we know about but it's been so long since they wrote all of that material that they've inevitably written more, and working so closely together now that's probably what's exciting them more at this point. Would not be surprised if the March tour was a lot less Skiffsy than anticipated

[howsoever]

I mean they’ll probably be all together soon, if not already, to rehearse for the tour next month right? Maybe some recording will happen then

[meys]

im fairly confident that skiffs 2 was what was recorded in december so maybe there's even more!

[opposite field]

EP plus a second LP with some new tracks would be tasty. Can't wait to see what we're in for here.

[blindmowing]

Jam wrote:

this is what i keep coming back to -- yeah there's still the other skiffs 2 stuff we know about but it's been so long since they wrote all of that material that they've inevitably written more, and working so closely together now that's probably what's exciting them more at this point. Would not be surprised if the March tour was a lot less Skiffsy than anticipated

damn, it's weird to think they COULD be debuting a whole slew of new material in March, like the old days when an album would come out and their next tour would be half brand new material...

i'm pretty sure they finished a full album in the studio in December. i read Panda's comments as they've got one more album left to record AFTER that

wild times in AC Land

[unrecordednight]

zak wrote:

DMed the writer.. the interview took place on 1/31 :\\\\\\ dang

zak wrote:

bummed that he seems to imply that the december recording sessions might not have finished off all the tracks? i was hoping, but not anticipating, that skiffs 2 could already be in the can recording-wise. after TS, I'm so excited for the other tracks

"yeah we recorded everything except defeat, not sure if that one's any good"

[unrecordednight]

animal collective fuming that kanye is calling his next record donda 2 bc they want to call their next record time skiffs 2

[Vovenarg]

DEAKIN!

[wilandhugs]

damn now I really am thinking the new one will have some crazy variation. I just expected different old songs/ maybe a slightly affected style by having strung and Walker along side skiffs 2 and skiffs stuff, but now I'm really wondering if they're just gonna be "all over the place" in the best way possible.

[coral lord]

lol if there's another albums worth of material after TS2

[foxtrot]

mildew_on_rice wrote:

Sorry, this is will inevitably be a massive wall of text. I’m sharing the mental imagery and the immediate feelings I get as I'm listening to the full album in high quality for the first time since a user demanded it as payment for the rip. Mainly for posterity but maybe someone will find it interesting or relate to it.

Dragon Slayer - The skiffs launch into a rushing waterway as a massive flying dragon soars over and between tall rocky jungle spires. There's a war starting but we're not there yet. We're ready and we're high on courage and fear.

Car Keys - We're now in traffic. The skiffs have transformed into coughing metal transport. It's a busy night in a crowded city. People with morphing faces stare at me, sending their scents of cigarettes, burgers and booze into my nostrils as I cruise by.

Prester John - I've stepped into a factory. A place that manufactures people or some sort of sentient being. There is an orchestrator of this process standing high above all. But the sentient beings rise up in defiance and begin to sing and plea to him to let them go. Where though? Out there to either save the world or end it.

Strung With Everything - Someone has asked us to gather together tonight. We're traveling way way out in the wilderness to get here. We're in the thick of trees somewhere in a mountainous landscape. We reach a blaze of orange light-- a massive bonfire. It's impossible not to take our shoes off and dance. The stars descend into our party and intermingle with the tall pines like fireflies. Worries about the world are replaced by love.

Walker - I'm alone now, stripped away from the crowd. I'm ambling along in some vague formless place but it slowly begins to materialize. A bright sunny sidewalk before me as I stride with confidence. I’m wearing comfortable clothes that fit me well and I feel like I’ve got a fresh start on something new. It won’t be easy but it’s got to be done.

Cherokee - That feeling of confidence has pushed me to a transcendent place. This isn’t inward or outward, it’s somehow both. Words have lost meaning. It’s like my mind is rifling through every file to pull reality back. I’m in a vehicle again, slowly trawling through a dusty village. I stop to have conversations from folks of all kinds that remind me who I am and where I come from. Tom Hanks is here for some reason.

Passer-by - Teleported to the farthest reaches of this world. I’m sitting still in heated pools within a temple. It’s been a long journey to get here. My body is failing and now is the time for rest. I feel shame melt away. I feel myself reconnecting with a core being that isn’t weighed down by the crushing expectations of modernity. I know I can’t stay this way forever but I’m here for now.

We Go Back - And then in a snap I’m shoved back into that modernity I finally had a break from. This time I have a better perspective and a fresher approach. I’m at a diner, then I’m in a deli, then I’m inspecting vegetables. The physical world has an organization to it that feels silly but I feel like a capable player in a strange and tricky game.

Royal and Desire - The road, the sidewalk, the waterway, all converge to a singular dirt road that ends at a white sanded beach before a sunkissed ocean. Sun is going down. I’m feeling as if I’ve had a million loves and my heart has broken with each one. But that’s how it is meant to be. I feel growth, I feel matured like a great tree that sees its own rings for the first time.

This was awesome! Thanks for writing. So interesting to see the images and feelings that the songs conjure for people. Especially relate PJ and Cherokee descriptions.

floats wrote:

Man, isn't it so cool that we get to wake up every day and listen to Skiffs as much as we want? No longer do I have to cower before the foreboding threat of demoitis or restrain myself from overplaying singles and ripping them from the bigger picture.

Also, Skiffs is a 10/10 word.

Yes! I feel like its not a secret anymore and I can just fucking revel in it.

Car Keys HQ just fucking melted my face.

[dio]

Actually ya, the revelation that there could be brand new songs in March is something that is just hitting me. I mean maybe they won't. But knowing them it seems likely. Fuck.

What if a followup EP is just Skiffs 2. I mean can't you call anything an EP. They're all on 12'' anyway. Even if its longer than Skiffs 1? hmm

New songs next month would be so fucking stupid mode incredible

[foxtrot]

how are you guys even able to fathom new new songs rn?!

[coral lord]

https://lyricsfa.com/2022/02/03/animal- ... er-lyrics/

this website has lyrics for new songs babayyyyyyy

[dio]

wrote:

how are you guys even able to fathom new new songs rn?!

No I mean, I basically can't, thats why it literally is taking a second 2 process.

But yeah, do we really think that they're gonna tour the same sets a 3rd go around? All they added last time was Soul and Piggy (once!). New reworks don't count.

Hm. I mean maybe it just means Rain in Cups, Bridge and like... ONE new post-Soul Capturer thing, but still. Even one would be great. I guess Soul is really recent.

[foxtrot]

can we just spend a hot minute picking apart every little golden nugget of Skiffs because I am so fucking high on Skiffs rn.

I love Skiffs so much I feel like I'm cheating on my wife

[coral lord]

Wrinkled papers on the sidewalk
Mess when they blow over
Fault of no one

wish we had a word like cromulent to specifically describe noah's lyrics, because how fuckin perfect is this.

[foxtrot]

I love Noah's little observations

He has such a great knack for rendering the quotidian in this really profound way



Also, how does that allmusic review match with the 3.5 stars? seemed like he absolutely loved it. not a single criticism

[Jam]

Really happy to finally get official lyrics — I am especially bad at understanding sung word, AC is particularly bad for me in that respect

wrote:

It was my favorite day
Before the movie show
Until the fight broke out
In front of floral scenes
Faces got all bent up
“Beat him real good” she called

Right into

wrote:

I saw a distant girl
Point at a hummingbird

Is so great — Passer-By has been one of the biggest growers for me

[dio]

Are they on Genius now or sumn

edit, whoops, thanks

[Jam]

coral lord wrote:

https://lyricsfa.com/2022/02/03/animal-collective-dragon-slayer-lyrics/

this website has lyrics for new songs babayyyyyyy

[drewblzz]

scrambledgreggs wrote:

this doesn't fit though - in the Blast sessions Deakin straight up listed all the songs they had yet to record, and said they would be recording them all "very very soon" and then they were in a studio for 17 days in Dec

so maybe there's even more material than we currently know about, and there's two albums' worth even after Skiffs?

Or they could’ve you know, just not finished.

[foxtrot]

This part is incredible:

wrote:

I stood for a moment and the sun went down
I got sad for the sun cause I would get lonely
Leaving a trail of darkness on a world behind
And always being sun for a world beyond
That just begins

Avey reflecting on his place in the cosmos. We often feel alone as humans. Insignificant grains of sand in an infinite universe. But even the fucking sun is a lonely, insignificant speck, merely shining light on others. Which totally reconceptualises the chorus:

wrote:

Over and over our song on my brain
I go back
We go back and I play it again
How far we go back is how forward we’ll go
It’s up to the Pleiades
And down the marrow

It's not as simple as playing old songs for fans or whatever. It is Avey orienting himself in time and space. Our memories generate the values and feelings that propel us into the future. The universe (the Pleiades) and our insides (the marrow) are one and the same. We're both vital and insignificant in the infinite time and space that we inhabit.

Not dissimilar to some of the ideas in SWE too.

[Fovrodi]

[coral lord]

Bumped a passer-by
Who smiled as if he knew me
He didn’t have a face I recognized
But I keep on thinking about your smile

Thanked a passer-by
For pointing out a thing
I probably would have missed without her eyes
Now I miss the passer-by

[meys]

time spliffs

[Hellomark]

Still not sure what it means for focaccia to be treated like it's jade..

[dio]

I think thats in the Qu'ran or something.

I love the Cherokee lyrics. Feel like he hasn't been that verbose and specific since like Fireworks or Lion maybe. Its a deeper On a Highway