[evan6032]

I decided to really lean into isn’t it paw patrol? Release day and listen to the record while watching the mighty movie. They sync up perfectly. Even better than Darkside of the rainbow. The crescendo of defeat as we get sky’s tragic back story is perfect.

[jerry wonder]

I think attention spans in general are pretty fucked from where they were 15 years ago--wondering if AC's music will be harder and harder for people to sit through, connect with, see the bigger picture of. I bet these reviewers are unconsciously prejudiced to this kind of music now, as maybe we all are...

[destiny]

it's hard for defeat to stand up to something like "robloxcore" for sure

[hypo's]

it's official my friends, I listened to this album!


[url]Its good I like it[/url]

[BoomCheese]

Okay Magicians is growing. BZ still sucks imo. I dislike it in a similar way to Winter Wonderland. Both short, poppy songs, but neither of them really hit.

[apellira]

Listening to this more now that it's officially out. It's really good! Don't think its anywhere near ST-MPP run due to some duds at the end, but I'm happy a band that I've followed obsessively since 2007 can still put out some quality tunes after so long. Love Genies, Broke, Magicians, and Defeat. Soul and Gem are good. Kings is fine. Dislike Stride and ACAB.

[tdegenaro]

mad respect to all sorts of takes but how anybody could think broke zodiac sucks or dislikes stride is just utterly and entirely incomprehensible to me

[apellira]

To be 100% honest and I don't want to be mean or super negative - I just am not and have never been a fan of Deakin's voice.

[nickfleece]

ACAB sounds like something off of Down There

It hasn’t left my head since Thursday night

[floats]

I hope ACAB makes some guest appearances whenever they start touring for their next batch of songs. Feels like there’s a lot of potential to stretch it out and play with it like they did with PW songs

[Alcohol]

apellira wrote:

To be 100% honest and I don't want to be mean or super negative - I just am not and have never been a fan of Deakin's voice.

I get that. I think it’s taken time for Deak himself to find and accept his voice. He was literally copping Panda affects for a while. I think with “Royal” he turned the page maybe on some of his self-doubt. With “Stride” he’s really harnessed his sound—his vocals are no longer the ham-handed instrument they were on, say, “Wide Eyed.” I am really blown away by “Stride.” After “Defeat” it’s my favorite song on the record.

[danksowow13]

I can't get over how colorful and psychedelic Genies is. The intro is just so mysterious and playful. The more I Iisten to the album the more I think that song is the biggest accomplishment of this whole era.

[madameghostly]

alright, second listen down, and i have some more thoughts. some of them good, some of them not as good

SOUL CAPTURER: pretty great way to ease us into the world of IIN. that "ooh don't tempt me" bridge leading into the cacophonous ending is something special. also i know everyone is saying this is them copying grateful dead but i hear the line "you need some tush" and all i can think of is zz top

GENIE'S OPEN: this one's good too (maybe my second favorite on the album atm) but did it song always have that studio!passerby-ass ending? not that i think it really ruins the song but the resemblance is uncanny

BROKE ZODIAC: really great little nugget of a pop song with a killer hook, maybe my favorite short song of this era, don't know why this wasn't a single. also i know it's probably not but the line "hearing angels trapped in cages" almost feels political

MAGICIANS FROM BALTIMORE: maybe my favorite of the two really long proggy songs on this album. that weird wolf-howl-y synth in the last part almost feels like a callback to the synth farts of penny dreadfuls

DEFEAT: i think i finally figured out what my beef is with this song - the first half is so much better than the second half that it almost makes the whole thing feel like a disappointment. i will elaborate but only if enough people yell at me

GEM & I: don't have much to say about this that hasn't already been said. the way the drums switch to the off-beat on the pre-chorus is nuts tho

STRIDE RITE: wasn't expecting this album's certified deak classic to be such a downer, but i kinda love it. he's totally crooning on this one. i almost wanna say it's my favorite on the album atm

ACAB: like i said before, i'd really love to see them expand on this sound in the future. very funky

KING'S WALK: wow, this is a lot better on second listen. then again, that's probably because i knew what to expect this time, as opposed to the first listen, where all i heard was 5 minutes of "ayyyyyyyy ayyyyyyy ayyyyyyy" expecting it to turn into an "actual song" before it just ended and i was like "that's it?"

[jerry wonder]

Listened to this album yesterday whilst extremely high on THC distillate/dabs, and found it to be so incredibly beautiful. I haven't felt this way about an AC album since MPP. I believe it will be seen in the future as one of their best albums after their 4 masterpieces (I think Skiffs is a bit overrated and this is supremely underrated). So grateful to these guys for their grind and dedication to discovering new sound.

[andthephantom]

Alcohol wrote:

apellira wrote:

To be 100% honest and I don't want to be mean or super negative - I just am not and have never been a fan of Deakin's voice.

I get that. I think it’s taken time for Deak himself to find and accept his voice. He was literally copping Panda affects for a while. I think with “Royal” he turned the page maybe on some of his self-doubt. With “Stride” he’s really harnessed his sound—his vocals are no longer the ham-handed instrument they were on, say, “Wide Eyed.” I am really blown away by “Stride.” After “Defeat” it’s my favorite song on the record.

I see Deakin as having two vocal modes - sweet-sounding and drone-y. Sleep Cycle really nicely moves between these two. But his two Skiffs-era tracks lean really hard into the sweet sound, without enough of the background dissonance that I need to really dig that approach. That's why What's On the Road? It's Shining would've been such a welcome addition to IIN - it would've been a major contrast to Stride.

[Me Tiger]

I love Deakin’s songs on these two albums. They remind me of Adrian Belew’s songs in King Crimson a bit. Stride Rite has some of the catchiest instrumental moments; they stuck in the head and make me think later — where is it from?

I like the album a lot. My favourites are — Soul Capturer, Genie’s Open, Broke Zodiac, Magicians, Defeat, Stride Rite and King’s Walk. Some of them are excellent and others are very good.

Always liked King’s Walk, from the first listen of the boots. Never thought of it in terms of self-parody. There was a time when I was in some Georgian restaurant and they played this vocal traditional music that reminded me of Kings. And I thought — “Oooh, it sounds almost like that song by Animal Collective, can’t wait to hear a proper studio version of it”. It was like three years ago or something, haha.

Between Broke Zodiac and Gem & I, I choose the first easily. These songs have some little tricks I like. The second verse of BZ contains only 7 lines instead of 8 (as it was in the first verse), and on Gem Noah starts to sing from the 4th instrumental line, though you usually wait it to be from the 3rd or the 5th line.

So, I don’t quite like Gem, mainly because of the chorus, I find it annoying. It’s like artificially added to the song (good that there are no extra parts in BZ). Also I don’t really like this dubby bassline in the chorus. And it is like just repeating “verse + bridge + chorus + again part” two times without changing the arrangement. But it’s not that I don’t like Gem at all, and it sounds refreshing after Defeat. Like life goes on and we have to go on living somehow.

ACAB is just okay, though it also has a special flavour. For me it sounds like the magician from the album cover.

[Tropic]

Me Tiger wrote:

ACAB is just okay, though it also has a special flavour. For me it sounds like the magician from the album cover.

Funny you should say this as I was thinking ACAB captures the tone of the album cover better than anything else. BZ as well

[Fonz]

danksowow13 wrote:

I can't get over how colorful and psychedelic Genies is. The intro is just so mysterious and playful. The more I Iisten to the album the more I think that song is the biggest accomplishment of this whole era.

The intro has classic psychedelic rock / baroque vibes. It’s delightful.

Also Stride Rite is wonderful as a traditional tune and it’s like a Royal and Desire part II. I think as long as they keep their improvisational mood which supposedly drove most of this album they’ll keep conjuring magical songs.

Unless something unforeseen, I can’t see the spark ever leaving these guys.

Idk but maybe this one’s a B+ so far and Time Skiffs feels like an A-? But those could easily increase.

[soothsailor]

yeah, i had to put on genie's open on its own this morning because it's just so good. that first section might have some of my favorite avey/panda vocals ever. but every part transitions so well. the boys' modular approach to songwriting on this album is very - excuse the cliche - smile-esque

[leaf_dwelling]

PolarBear wrote:

I dont know if it's cause i was high, but this album sounds completely different on vinyl.

I was staring at my carpet (which I noticed looked like it had eyes). The lights were dim. Once that transition between Soul to Genies started going I started shaking a little bit, it sounded that good. Ill try re listening to the vinyl to make sure, but so far vinyl waaaaayyyy better.

i found the vinyl added a lot of depth and space to the record, the feeling of being in a studio. but the vinyl cut itself isn't very loud, i had to go to 11 to really hear it at a high volume.

[speen]

genies is really amazing, i also love the intro. super psychedelic and playful, sounds so good. I do wish the outro was a little higher energy, like the recent bootlegs with the silver jews interpolation. but the song is amazing. definitely does feel like a keystone track for the era

[PolarBear]

With Geos recent interview, it had me wondering if he was alluding that Domino doesn't have as much faith in them as they used to. I was wondering if it's possible for the fan base to start a fund raiser so they could make the craziest, most experimental, out of this world album they could ever make? I think that'd be pretty interesting. Just a random thought I had.

[jiraiya]

been absolutely loving the album. completely taken over my listening rotation. it really feels perfect for the start of autumn in terms of atmosphere and mood. some of the tracks i wasn't quite sold on (Kings Walk in particular) have been clicking a lot more as well.

sincere question: as someone who completely avoided boots for this era, which are the best live recording to see how these evolved? would love to go back and check them out now. that includes time skiffs tunes too of course

[speen]

definitely start back with the music box in 2018, and then the october 2019 shows like cains ballroom

[awesome]

PolarBear wrote:

With Geos recent interview, it had me wondering if he was alluding that Domino doesn't have as much faith in them as they used to. I was wondering if it's possible for the fan base to start a fund raiser so they could make the craziest, most experimental, out of this world album they could ever make? I think that'd be pretty interesting. Just a random thought I had.

idk about the crowd funding, but this business about the album-by-album record deal is intriguing....... i wonder if they go on their own or another label for the next one if they want to put it out quicker. 2 years(ish) from recording to release for IIN? is pretty wild i think

[nothingmastered]

Annihilated the bootlegs this cycle

Start with Music Box for sure

2019
Cains Ballroom
Meow Wolf
Desert Daze
Big Sur (incredible sounding)

2021
Asheville (first show since pandemic)
Cincinnati was good too iirc
Probably missing some other decent ones

2022
This year was insanely well documented
Summerstage
Meow Wolf
Dallas
San Francisco

Faves off the top of my head.

[Tropic]

From a RYM review lol, makes me wanna pull my hair out

wrote:

I've been a fan of this band for some time, and I quite enjoyed their last album, Time Skiffs. But this followup really misses the level of that one for me, and I can pinpoint a few reasons why.
For one, the mixing on this album feels markedly worse. The organs on "Defeat" are really pitchy, the vocals are too far back in the mix, and the drums, especially on "Magicians From Baltimore", sound awful. I don't know what it is, because they didn't sound that different on Time Skiffs, but they sound much worse here. They're way too loud, the snare is ringy and the toms have too much bass, at least to my ears.
For two, these songs don't really have the infectious energy of their best work or the breezy chill of the last album. It feels like they just drag on or stop too soon.
Finally, I'm putting this apart from that initial mixing point because this needs extra emphasis- the bass mixing on this is oppressive. It feels like it smothers out a lot of the other elements of the mix, and it's distracting.

[meys]

Tropic wrote:

From a RYM review lol, makes me wanna pull my hair out

wrote:

I've been a fan of this band for some time, and I quite enjoyed their last album, Time Skiffs. But this followup really misses the level of that one for me, and I can pinpoint a few reasons why.
For one, the mixing on this album feels markedly worse. The organs on "Defeat" are really pitchy, the vocals are too far back in the mix, and the drums, especially on "Magicians From Baltimore", sound awful. I don't know what it is, because they didn't sound that different on Time Skiffs, but they sound much worse here. They're way too loud, the snare is ringy and the toms have too much bass, at least to my ears.
For two, these songs don't really have the infectious energy of their best work or the breezy chill of the last album. It feels like they just drag on or stop too soon.
Finally, I'm putting this apart from that initial mixing point because this needs extra emphasis- the bass mixing on this is oppressive. It feels like it smothers out a lot of the other elements of the mix, and it's distracting.

RYM users famously dont like music at all so I just ignore anything anyone on that website has to say

[Fonz]

soothsailor wrote:

yeah, i had to put on genie's open on its own this morning because it's just so good. that first section might have some of my favorite avey/panda vocals ever. but every part transitions so well. the boys' modular approach to songwriting on this album is very - excuse the cliche - smile-esque

I appreciate that reference as a die hard BB fan. They really have that childlike wonder present on SMiLE through a lot of their albums.

I also appreciate the Apple Music digital only single version of Soul Capturer because it functions essentially as a reprise and I love hearing it two times in a row lol.

[BoomCheese]

Thankful for Stride Rite. Really evokes the “Collective” feeling of the band, which is always so special. Deakin’s voice really does it for me - washes over me so comfortably. Another studio effort from him would be most welcome.

[rohcti]

Magicians is like some shit that would normally be relegated to an EP. Appreciate them putting this masterpiece on the LP

[hypo's]

apellira wrote:

To be 100% honest and I don't want to be mean or super negative - I just am not and have never been a fan of Deakin's voice.

great av, dogtooth no?

[destiny]

meys wrote:

Tropic wrote:

From a RYM review lol, makes me wanna pull my hair out

wrote:

I've been a fan of this band for some time, and I quite enjoyed their last album, Time Skiffs. But this followup really misses the level of that one for me, and I can pinpoint a few reasons why.
For one, the mixing on this album feels markedly worse. The organs on "Defeat" are really pitchy, the vocals are too far back in the mix, and the drums, especially on "Magicians From Baltimore", sound awful. I don't know what it is, because they didn't sound that different on Time Skiffs, but they sound much worse here. They're way too loud, the snare is ringy and the toms have too much bass, at least to my ears.
For two, these songs don't really have the infectious energy of their best work or the breezy chill of the last album. It feels like they just drag on or stop too soon.
Finally, I'm putting this apart from that initial mixing point because this needs extra emphasis- the bass mixing on this is oppressive. It feels like it smothers out a lot of the other elements of the mix, and it's distracting.

RYM users famously dont like music at all so I just ignore anything anyone on that website has to say

they also dont listen to the music HAHAHA, most users on there give an album a quick run through on apple earbuds once then cut tracks from the album and say "this album would be really good as an EP"

[PolarBear]

So I've finally listened to the album enough times to where I think I can give some thoughts and opinions on it. I don't know how to do the spoiler thing so sorry...

There was a lot of nervousness leading up to this record. From personal anxieties, and as a fan of Animal Collective, I knew this album was going to be a huge moment in my life and their careers. After a quick hit of some Tangerine Dream, I knew it was time to begin the journey…

1. As soon as I pressed play, I was immediately filled with joy, and a grand smile covered my entire face. Soul Capturer’s groovy guitar strums and hypnotic drums make me feel like I’m marching into a grand psychedelic ceremony. The beautiful harmonizing and dancey instrumentation gives the vibe of a modern indie anthem. One that could possibly be used in a film, like Arcade Fire with “Where The Wild Things Are.” Such a strong opener, and once Avey started doing that “eeeerrrrraaaarrrreeeerrrr” I knew I was in for a wild ride. During that moment I stared at the cover art and it appeared as if the colorful tiles were the Soul Capturer casting a spell. Reminiscent of a Kamek from Mario, or Wizzrobe from Zelda, or even a Black Mage from Final Fantasy.

2. The transition between Soul Capturer to Genies Open is one of the greatest transitions in their discography. I physically and mentally felt as if my soul was captured and sent into the woods of a medieval era to be put on a spiritual trial. The nautical, cartoony atmosphere of this song perfectly encapsulates their ability to imitate a childlike sense of innocence. I also love how the melody almost reminisced of a moment earlier in their career when they made indie synth-pop music. A moment of better days and carefree joy. The way Avey and Noah’s voices imitated waves in a sea absolutely blew me away. It made me want to believe in the Sea of Light. However, the last line slaps me in the face with a sense that the Sea of Light is just a mirage and there is much more to endure ahead.

3. Broke Zodiac is a fun track that simply just makes me want to groove. Even though it is foreshadowed by the destructive force that is Defeat, I enjoy the uplifting instrumentals showing the character in this journey is trying to stay strong and keep their head up. Avey and Noah yet again show how well they can harmonize together. I love the bounciness of the drums and how the hip-hop drum break compliments Noah’s rap-inspired lyrics amidst an album of renaissance sounds. This song is just a straight-up jam that made me wish I had a friend to sing this with.

4. For me, it seems like Magicians From Baltimore is a slow grower. I am enjoying it a lot more on my 5th listen. However, I still do find some of Avey’s line delivery a little bit awkward. Besides that, I enjoy how the sounds, the emptiness, the scorching guitar, all exemplify the feelings of being misplaced in a town you grew up in, but no longer recognize. Although I am not from Baltimore, I heavily resonate with the statement of wanting to grow and get away from the city that no longer serves you or makes you feel welcome. A definitive powerful track that will grow over time and be a staple in their career.  I also just wanted to quickly note how amazing Deakin’s vocals replicate heat waves on the Magnolia. Lots of onomatopoeia (idk if that’s the correct word) in this album and I am loving it!

5. There’s not much more I can say about Defeat that hasn’t already been said. This song is not only a climax within this album, but Animal Collective's career as a whole. I’ll just briefly go over some moments I really enjoyed. I love how the beginning almost sounds like a binaural ambiance with twilight stars twinkling through Avey’s somber notes. I felt as if I died, and my sad spirit was flying over a decaying world. Almost as if I was about to witness a horrible moment in Moby Dick or Noah’s Ark. The build-up to the second part has some vocal samples that give me goosebumps every time I hear it. It heavily reminds me of a Pogo song, like an angel or a fairy godmother calling out to wake up after being swallowed by Monstro. Avey always does an amazing job of writing lyrics that speak to younger audiences going through tough times. It’s hard to see the light when you’re coming of age. Being depressed, out of it, not in the moment can really feel like the end of the world. When will things get better? Why isn’t it now? Defeat…

6. Gem & I is such a beautiful track. You can take the lyrics any way with this one. I love how Noah keeps his wording so vague. You can look at this as a commentary on the band. However, I love to view this as a commentary on my relationship with my partner. As long as I have them by my side and we can see the sun rise another day, maybe things aren’t as bad as they seem. This is the one. And maybe it has been now all along.

7. I’m not sure if Deakin was inspired by Frozen with this track, but it feels like a more grounded, adult version of that song and I just think that’s kind of cool lol. Anyway, this song makes me cry every time I listen to it. Deakin has such an amazing range and strong storytelling abilities. The wintery instrumentation with Deakin’s warm vocals makes me feel like I’m being hugged by a huge heated blanket after waking up from a frozen enchantment. This track is just straight-up beautiful, a great bittersweet wake-up call. I love how these 2 tracks act as a response to Defeat. Noah and Josh appear as mystical guides heading you toward the light after being torn apart by your innermost demons.

8. ACAB struck me as odd the first time I heard it. Narratively, I believe this song may be the Soul Capturer’s spell wearing off. You are beginning to wake up and realize the spell is broken. I doubt this is supposed to be a fun track, lyrically. With the song's repetitiveness, Avey’s “Grim Grinning Ghosts” rhythm, and Geo’s Scooby Doo bat-like samples, this song feels like you’re on a theme park ride that has broken down and you can now see past all bullshit. All the neon lights, fried foods, drugs, sex, and money. Things that keep you hypnotized and stuck in a low vibrational trance. I also believe this just from the track straight up being titled ACAB. It’s been awhile since AC has been straight up political like this. Calling this song a fun reminder of the journey just feels off and uncanny.

9. I’m not sure if Kings Walk is supposed to be Avey’s final response. However, hearing Avey, Deakin, and Panda singing all together illustrates that they are all in this together. They are the preachers and leaders of the modern-day world. They are here to deliver the divine message. I do not find this song to be AC self-parody. It is very evident that this album is meant to be taken very seriously from its theming and its messages. It seems with this final song the boys are taking their stance and realizing they are in a very powerful position, as musicians and influencers on society.

[foxtrot]

Awesome write up with some unique ideas/perspectives which is pretty rad considering how many thoughts we’ve all shared at this point. Disagree with your criticism though. Only Defeat really feels seperate in that sense. Even then the melodies are still really strong. I’ve been playing the whole album through at home and I catch my kids singing along to Defeat as much as any other track.

[PolarBear]

Yeah, I'm sure a lot of people might disagree with the last statement. I guess it's more based on the amount of time I have in my day to play that song rather than me just choosing to skip it. I wish I had more time to play Defeat.

[dansemanatee]

Listened to skiffs and iin back to back again last night and this may have just been the edible talking but gem and i reminded me a lot of yo la tengo, the piano reminds me a bit of summer sun and the vocals (especially the bums) kinda sound like something they'd do vocally. yo la tengo does a lot of covers so it would be cool to hear their take on gem.

[scrambledgreggs]

fully obsessed with Broke Zodiac today

[floats]

scrambledgreggs wrote:

fully obsessed with Broke Zodiac today

Same, one of my fave panda songs in a while. Really digging the way Avey delivers his backing vocals during the chorus too.

[lhtd]

man genie’s open is such a companion to moby dick for me