Collected Animals

The Stevie Wonder PB was released as a limited 7 inch, with Polly as the B side. It's pretty rare I think. Someone else definitely knows more about it then I do.

Amazing write ups here, people. Loving it. Feels good. I'll try to keep mine somewhat concise and fit it all in.



Batch 1

Purple Bottle (Stevie): Obviously an immense song. Feels is my favourite AC record but this track was never one of the best to me until 9:30, which completely flipped a switch. I do prefer the OG studio version and think the 9:30 version is the best, with the Stevie bit being a special highlight. Very cool to hear that they properly recorded the Stevie bit though - does anyone know where/when/in what context this recording was released??

Mouth Woo: I think ST was the second or third AC record I heard and this was the standout to me on first listen. I'd now say top five but really the Pitchfork video is my definitive version of the album tbh... Panda's vocals in the back half are so odd and so on fire. Speaking of fire and the back half, it's calling back a bit of Campfire vibes in the guitar playing. Really appreciate the mix on this. Also a HUGE thing for me is the first time I heard the "once on a good day" part of post-MBV Defeat, I was like fuuuuuck they've definitely used this melody before. It's taken me till now to realise it's the opening line of Mouth Wooed Her...

A Sender: I think the Slasher House is a mixed bag but I love the energy and this is a perfect opener. So well mixed and so well placed. Awesome use of Deradoorian.

AAA: Wild and complex. Such an impressive song structure for someone at this stage in their career. I do prefer La Rapet but this is seriously eye opening. We hear about AC demos all the time but we only get boots and this is a proper insight into the writing process I feel. Such a cool mix again and I wish I could hear the whole of Spirit with this mix - not because I think it would be better or worse, just because it would be so different and interesting. The acoustic guitar! Imagine that on Chocolate Girl.

Long Game: Hadn't listened in a long time but woah. Some of the best low end on an AC-universe track ever? I saw him close a show on this before it came out and remember thoroughly enjoying it. Definitely sounds like a feature but that's honestly because it's such an outlier in his and AC's discography sonically. Nothing else like it out there. People say Skiffs is AC playing it the most straight they ever have, but I'd argue this track is the most straightforward "in the box" song - and it's great!


Batch 2

Arrow: Not a fan of this era so was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed listening to this again. I appreciate the experimentation and feral vibes as it progresses, but don't love them. At the core it's a great song that gets let down a bit by the flaccid vocals. Would really really like to see a Skiffs-era live version of this.

Good Lovin: Very Campfire-y again. Cooling down the album. Perfectly nice track but not one I ever really revisit. Second least favourite on the album after one I care not to mention for fear of being burnt at the stake.

Wonderland: Wicked song. Despite being a non-boot track, to me such a signifier of the SJ era. Frantic and kinetic. Standing next to the Cuckoos, Fireworks and Reverend Greens yes it's not a gigantic defining moment but it sits perfectly in there with the greats. Sort of Fireworks' speedy little cousin. Audaciously clear vocals, which I suppose at the time was a very new thing for them.

Rosie: Pretty clunky. Slightly infuriating mixture of ill-fitting noises that don't do the track justice, in my opinion. Definitely some great moments on there, like the first chorus sort of emerging from the murk but yeah I'd say this is the weakest Panda song on any main AC/solo album up until this point. I remember them opening on this both times I saw them in 2012 and sorta being like whyyyyy but ok.

Left Me: One of the best solo Avey tracks out there. Perfect end to the journey that is Eucalyptus. Another great use of Deradoorian. God that man knows how to wrench a heart. I think the production on this one is so much stronger than most of the rest of the album, which I find a tad muddy in places.

Not allowing this to get NP'd

Arrow - Really incredible track, the melody is very oddly pretty, as are Geo's shrieks. It definitely has a childlike feel, but with an undercurrent of tension and anxiety. I think this would be my pick if I could only pick one Hollind track to get a studio version.

Good Lovin - Fuck yeah. In that Bonefish podcast Rusty said the idea of "acoustic My Bloody Valentine" was one of the ideas in his head at the time of working on ST. This one testifies to that pretty hard with the thick guitar textures and vague sensual vocals. All the little vocal flourishes are amazing.

Rosie Oh - Odd song for them that kinda sticks out on the album but I've been finding it very fun recently. The little guitar licks everywhere sell it. Parts of it get stuck in my head very easily. I feel like it could have been simplified a bit and people would generally have liked it better

Winter - I've enjoyed this one more and more over the years. The opening vocal melody turned me off at first, but it comes together with the rest of the song, as the vocals do this slow ascending thing into the chorus. Great lyrics and really love the drumming, they are very Ark.

When You Left Me - Big highlight of Eucalyptus, which is just filled with gems. I've always been partial to acoustic AC so this song is a slam dunk for me. Reminds me of just being in nature

The Stevie Wonder PB was released as a limited 7 inch, with Polly as the B side. It's pretty rare I think. Someone else definitely knows more about it then I do.

Oh right on! Thanks for that. Haven't heard that Polly cover in sooooo long.

Wow a lot to read hahaha, will be checking everyone later. Here's my take on the first few songs.

The Stevie Sonder version of Purple Bottle feels like one of those odd lost to time versions of a song, I can completely understand why Avey did it, but the album version flows so much better it's sureal they ever thought about this working at all.

Since Mouth Wooed Her is a late album track and I listen to Sung Tongs sparingly, it's usually where my journey ends, so this gave me a good opportunity to listen to it. What a cute little song with all those strange disorienting guitars and strange vocals. Pure AC weirdness at it's best.

I love Slasher House!!! I was just listening to it a lot a month ago, it's so much fun! It has that cartoonish feeling everyone is talking about. Those Moog synths fill up my life force. The drumming is top notch on this album. Still, I feel like this song suffers a bit from not having a more straight feeling of progression, kinda feels stagnant which is weird giving the playfulness. One of my favourite tracks from the Slashers.

I remember a certain day I was taking a walk listening to spirit and the birds section on la rapet hit me so so hard. I cannot believe there's a worse version of that hahaha. This one has a STRONG psychedelic feeling, feels very disorienting, and while it flows better without the middle section it makes absolutely no justice to the birds part of the song. (Untitle #1 started playing after this one and I have to say, what a MAGICAL song. Absolute favourite)

That last one is a new one for me and all I have to say is wtf. Panda Bear beat type. In all seriousness it retains a lever of irony, like that yeh sound at one point that let's you know he's half joking with this one. 100% the kind of song to start a "this is the clear end of an artist" and "creative bankruptcy" stirr. Love it kinda, but certainly surprised by it.

I'll continue with it rn.

THE PURPLE BOTTLE (STEVIE WONDER VERSION)

this is actually my first time listening to the stevie wonder version of studio purple bottle and... yeah, i'm not feeling it. maybe i'd warm up to it if it was its own thing, like an acoustic version or something, but this is literally just the studio version with an inferior bridge, so i really have no reason to listen to it ever again

it's sweet and all, and i can definitely see the angle of it being like a mixtape or something, but in my biased opinion, the album version's bridge hits harder and is just... better. besides, if i ever want to hear a version with the stevie wonder lyric, i can just listen to live at 9:30

MOUTH WOOED HER

i never thought about how disjointed this song is before. and yet it still kinda works? there's just something about the contrast between relaxing, almost-freeform fingerpicking and staccato bursts of frenetic energy that demands your attention. it's like they wanted to lull you into a false sense of security before hitting you with that AH-AH-AH-AH and that I DON'T WANT NO ONE OF

also that outro is stellar but then again that's kind of par for the course for this band. not my favorite sung tong, but still pretty good

A SENDER

good way to open up the insanity that is enter the slasher house but i'm finding it hard to find much to say beyond that. it's a good song but doesn't leave as much of an impression on me as other songs on the album. maybe i just need to give it some more listens. what i'm assuming are deradoorian's vocals are nice though

AN AN ANGEL

now that i've seen into the alternate reality where spirit they've vanished was an avey solo album i've decided i don't want it anymore

it's fine. i didn't like it that much upon my first listen of A NIGHT AT MR. RAINDROP'S HOLISTIC SUPERMARKET, and now that the novelty of us getting unreleased spirit-era recordings has worn off, i like it even less, and those pitch-shifted vocals will haunt my nightmares, but it's fine. i'd just rather listen to la rapet

PLAYING THE LONG GAME

wow, first week and already i'm hearing songs i've never heard before! (i know i just said i never heard the stevie wonder version of purple bottle but that doesn't count) panda with trap production works surprisingly well, and i have no qualms about calling this a bop. i'll have to revisit this one soon

THERE'S AN ARROW

can't believe i never took much notice of this song before, it's quite nice. almost relaxing, at least by hollindagain standards. the piano gives me steve reich vibes. i'm definitely gonna be coming back to this one

GOOD LOVIN OUTSIDE

who doesn't love a good love song? the lyrics are sweet, and i love the way they almost roll between chords on the second half of each line. somehow makes it uneasy and comforting at the same time. again, not my favorite sung tong - maybe even... my least favorite??? - but still good

WINTER WONDER LAND

i don't know why this was my favorite song on the album when i first listened to it 9 years ago but i do think it's funny that now i can say that it went from my favorite song to my least favorite song. not that it's bad, i've just come to love all the other songs on strawberry jam so much more. it 's a bit of an odd fit for the album with how relentlessly energetic and upbeat it is, almost to the point of being overwhelming, but it's still fun

ROSIE OH

number one centipede hz apologist here to tell you this song is great. panda's lyrics nail the struggle of trying to be independent and, though this might just be my interpretation, taking it to such an extreme that you end up burning yourself out. i mean, just listen to the way he sings "i'm on my own" - it's almost like a madness mantra

it's also great for the reasons the rest of chz is great, which is that it sounds good. can't help but sway my head and tap my toes to it, and it has the funny samples that scratch my brain in just the right way. johnny walkerrrr

WHEN YOU LEFT ME

who doesn't love a good breakup song? while i wish this had a bit more substance to it (maybe another verse and chorus in the first section?), it's still a really nice way to end the sprawling beauty that is eucalyptus. i might even call it cathartic

Rosie Oh is such an underrated CHz track - I think mostly because of the strange production. But the structure is insane! It looks something like this:

ABABCDCDEFG

All in under 3 minutes!

Kideatskeyboard

There's an Arrow
Hollinndagain is an occasional listen for me, but I've always been fond of this one, even though the sample that sounds like a cicada stuck inside a piece of Tupperware is possibly the most anxiety-inducing sample in any AC recording. The piercing 'bird call' loop completely ties together the whole song, somehow enough to take it from creepy horror atmosphere to some place a little more breathable.

Good loving outside
This song sounds so beautiful. The way the guitars wash over each other on this song is a sound I actually associate more with Prospect Hummer EP... So simultaneously it's a unique moment on sung tongs but also feels like the 'baseline' vibe for the era. Sits perfectly after mouth wooed her, almost feels like a part two of the loosest, most open sounding part of the album.

Winter Wonder Land
Love love love this song so much. Early standout in my AC journey and still holds up imo. Definitely an outlier on SJ but it's so perfect I wouldn't swap it for anything. I love how unabashedly wintery it sounds with the twinkly bell tones and deakin's guitar is like wooshes of wind. "Ooooh" section is maybe unparallelled?? Maximum joy and beauty in that delivery and melodically outside of aveys usual territory. Drums are fucking crazy too what more needs to be said?
Something very un-self-conscious about the song that touches on a feeling ac was really good at hitting for a long time, this might be the last time they truly went there on a studio album.

More thoughts to come but for now just wanted to say the sequencing of these 5 is spot on! Excellent job kideatskeyboard

Actually super pumped about some serious headphone listens to Kids’ list. Enjoyed MFPotus’ jams massively. Whether the picks are my favs or not this whole process just gives every track a new little life inside my mind.

It's got me listening to Hollinndagain all morning and I'm buzzing. Now listening to Ark for more of that energy. Ooohhhhhh this is so good.

Rosie Oh is such an underrated CHz track - I think mostly because of the strange production. But the structure is insane! It looks something like this:

ABABCDCDEFG

All in under 3 minutes!

I love that production. Like it's so whacky and nonsensical and there's sounds flying all around, makes it quirky. And the main vocals are incredible, the main melody is so so good I cannot not sing it when I'm listening to it. But I said no, I'd rather not~

KidEatsKeyboard’s Picks:


1/5: There's An Arrow: (posting again just so its collected with the other 4)

This one falls at an interesting point on Holinndagain. The first three tracks are such a perfect reflection of all the wild, feral, boundless creativity of the band’s early days. This track comes immediately after them. I think I’ve sold it short in the past because of this. I’ve always thought it needed a more explosive climax/moment of catharsis to give it a bit of a lift. Looking forward to removing it from that context and just listening on its own merits today. The high synth melody that repeats throughout is rad. Spirit style creepy fairytale vibe. Classic pounding early AC drums. Geo’s wind up sound. Dave’s melody also feels very much ‘early era’ - Danse/Spirit. Dig the way the track gets rudely overtaken by the piercing sound (like an eagle call) that comes in halfway through. In the past I have wished that the track had a bigger pay off. Some more prominent Panda vocals and/or some screaming from Avey to match the intensity of Pride and Fight’s peaks. Listening now on its own and I think I can start seeing it more like the short Danse tracks. A cool little interlude type piece rather than a full blown epic. I love all the sounds. It evokes images of a hideous but gentle fairytale monster emerging from a swamp.


2/5: Good Lovin Outside:

I talked up Mouth Wooed Her and I feel exactly the same way about this one. A perfect example of the childlike wonder and purity of their early sound. The guitars, as many others have mentioned, are absolutely sublime. The acoustic MBV thing does come across but mostly it’s just AC’s own beautiful approach to creating layers of texture with the guitars. Love all the little manipulated field recordings of children playing outdoors. The laugh section and the ‘WAH WAH WAH’ bit right after is my favourite little stretch. Absolutely gorgeous track.


3/5: Winter Wonderland:

This is one I have always underestimated. I enjoy it when I’m listening to SJ but never put it on outside that context. On the album it fits well enough, is energetic and fun. Doesn’t really add anything that other tracks don’t already contribute though. Looking forward to listening now on its own merits. Have always dug the weird little vocal bit before things kick off. Like checking the signal. As a few have said, the drums go hard! I enjoy the chorus most when I move away from Avey and focus on all the glorious, rushing instrumentation - like skiers flying down the mountain. And the wordless melody at the end of each chorus kicks arse. Its like Fireworks in sugar rush mode. Had a lot of fun with this today. Maybe if I take it less seriously as an important part of the fabric of SJ and just enjoy it for the thrilling 3 minutes that it is I might grow to see it the same way I see stuff like Peacebone.


4/5: Rosie Oh:

Mentioned earlier the strange production and unique complexity for such a short song. It’s like Panda’s version of The Burglars. A huge number of parts all crammed in together. Which for me makes it a lot of fun to listen to. Also, so many crazy sounds. On brand for CHz. Some say too many. The funny, bouncy guitar line is so much fun. Most of the sounds here evoke walking down the street on a glorious day. Which works wonderfully with the lyrics. Also, what a killer last 20 seconds! This song is a unique one in their catalogue and deserves more love. I think if it had appeared later on the album it would be more lovingly talked about. Maybe as that second last track that shakes things up a bit before the closer position (Loch Raven, Cuckoo, No More Runnin, WGB).


5/5: When You Left Me:

Coral Lords and Sport In July are so vast and beautiful that I often forget about this one a bit. It’s like an epilogue type thing. Lovely track though. Feels weird listening to it out of context rn. It’s very much a closer type tune. Angel’s contributions all over this album are gorgeous. Love the sense of space in the opening section. The slide guitar is heaven. Wish it went for more than a minute. Like madameghostly said, a whole extra repeat through would have been awesome. Really dig the way it ends though. The ‘wanna know how this flower’ part is really epic considering how minimal the sound palette is. A little moment of release.

There's An Arrow Look folks...I've never listened to Hollindagain. Not Even Once(TM) But this is pretty much exactly what I expected it to sound like!

Winter Wonder Land Fifteen years ago, lil' 12-year old me heard this for the first time - in fact it was the first Animal Collective song I ever heard, and while my obsession with this group wasn't really sparked until Time Skiffs, in all those years I don't think my opinion on this one has ever changed - I have always adored this song and the story it tells. And to take it a step further, I think this is the quintessential Animal Collective song, at least where that first decade is concerned. Frenetic, emotional, and with its focus set on childhood nostalgia, this song is a forever classic IMO. Favorite part is definitely that abrupt wrap-up note, can't fathom it ending any other way and since it's never been played live I can only assume the group can't either!

Rosie Oh This is a tricky one. As many of you have already mentioned, this song is very complex and all over the place. Some days I'm game for that, some days not so much, but what I'm pretty positive about is that I would much prefer to have heard this on any other album than CHz. Don't get me wrong, I love Centipede but IMO it is glaringly obvious that it was not the territory Panda Bear was interested in exploring at that period in time (I point to songs like I Think I Can and New Town Burnout that are pretty obviously reworked Tomboy cuts.) As a result I think this song feels kind of half-baked in the context of the album, but without the context of the album it feels way too busy. Still love the guitar and vocals (specifically the second half) but to my mind one of the weaker AC tracks. Although pretty intrigued by foxtrot's suggestion of having it elsewhere in the tracklist - and yeah, I think I'd switch it with Pulleys.

Good Lovin Outside I know calling a song "trippy" might elicit some eyerolls in this neck of the woods but I've got no better word to use - this song is trippy as fuck. When I hear this song, I feel the urge to curl my toes uncontrollably and wrap myself tightly in a warm fuzzy blanket. Except there is no blanket, only acoustic guitar and ether (maybe some fractals as a treat.)

When You Left Me Speaking of fractals, Eucalpytus is an album I never paid much mind to until Avey's tour this year, where he trotted out versions of Ms. Secret and Coral Lords that had me drooling on the floor of First Unitarian. But it's not an album I ever listen to start to finish, instead I tend to find a little pocket of 3 or 4 tracks to live in at a time - as a result I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've ever heard this one. And I really dig it, especially those little country-western riser noises (WTF do I even call that, is it steel guitar?) and that mutated, throbbing string section in the second half. A pretty special tune that I'm definitely excited to return to.

Great picks KidEatsKeyboard, thanks! (And thanks for that Skiffs 2 comp on YouTube, just realized you're the same dude.) Bring on week 2!!!

Ok KidEatsKeyboard's first three are all like, my favorite song of all time so this was really fun

There's an Arrow: I think Hollindagainn will always be both the greatest live album of all time and also the band's most underrated work. Arrow is probalby my favorite on the album. I love the reeling noise in the beginning and the feedback loop at the end, the weirder almost industrial sounds pair really nicely with the key tones. The part where everything cuts out and Panda starts beating the shit out of the snare and then Avey starts singing in that really sweet melody.... seriously one of the best moments in their catalog. Wish I had more to say about it but its early in the morning.

Good Lovin Outside: This is definitely my favorite sung tong. Feel like the last three songs on the album get glossed over a lot so its cool we get to talk about two of those this week. I guess GLO isn't as immediate as something like Leaf House but like, i see more people talking about fucking we tigers and college than this one, not that those are bad songs by any means but yea this one....

It feels so sweet and warm but also dark, in a cozy way, ever so slightly sinister at times but for the most part just cozy. So many little moments in the vocals i love, like the way they sing "moss all night" and the little "wawawawa!"s and seagull noises. The harmonies are soooo good. Can't really think of anything else to say that isn't corny and also a little bit sad.

Winter Wonderland: I once saw someone on here describe this song as "AC on autopilot". As much as I love it I kinda get that sentiment. To me I feel like they're not on autopilot but this song probably sums up their whole thing pretty well. It started off as an Ark song so it's got those wild ass drums, the little vocal intro sounds like something from sung tongs, its got classic avey tare ass lyrics. The whole song feels like its about to explode. I wanna bring up there's an arrow again; that song is a perfect example of how good they are at making songs that feel as equally anguished and mournful as they do excited and euphoric. It's all about to burst at the seams. This song feels like the perfect summation of that. Feel like they really honed in on that in the years between their early stuff and SJ. I remember one of my good friends telling me right before we graduated high school he played this song and looked around his bedroom and just kept thinking "it's all happening!" Definitely a song I like to hear when I feel like I'm moving up and onward in my own life.

Rosie Oh: This was one of the last CHZ I got behind. One of the first moments in their discography where I feel like they could have done more with it. The beginning of the song is fun, it's super weird in a way that totally works as a CHZ song. The "Id like to embrace it" part is a fun little detour, but my beef with this song is that break right afterwards. Hands down the best part of the song, I have absolutely no idea why they didn't drag that out. I don't really know what it is, it sounds like a guitar sample. Should have done with that what they did with the stoop part in cherokee. Whatever. Still a fun song.

When You Left Me: Interesting listen with this one. I've only listened to Eucalyptus once so i feel like this one probably hits a lot harder as the closing track to a long album like that. Did't know the lyrics at first so I assumed this was a breakup song. I didn't know he was saying 80 in that one part, it sounds like he's saying the name of someone in my life and it threw me off. Pretty sure this song is not about a breakup and about losing a grandparent? About to go through that myself so it's nice to have this song. Anyway, "Wanna know how this flower became this flower
Wanna bask in your rituals for finding the perfect day" are such avey lyrics, in a good way. Love the different melodies he uses in this song and the way he sings that part just sounds so fucking glorious!

There's An Arrow: definitely my favorite track on the second half of Hollindagain (post-Forest Gospel). i feel like the alarm goes on a little too long but i really love this atmosphere and the melodies

Winter Wonder Land: great song in or out of context. brings me back to 8th grade in Chicago, when I first got into SJ. i haven't paid attention to it in forever so this was wonderful. very jubilant chorus section and i really love the percussion

Rosie Oh: i really love this one, especially the ending few sections. the whole aura of disappointment around CHz has sometimes pulled me under the water but I always emerge again to enjoy it. i really want to know more about the creation of this track, since NTB was a tomboy leftover.

Good Lovin Outside: another great Tong. I wish the opening two lines were their own track sometimes. fairy tale vibes

When You Left Me: i always kind of think of this as a nothing track, but it's really pretty and i always enjoy hearing it. especially the last couple sections, absolutely devastating and gorgeous. this was a charm to hear live too

something about There's An Arrow is so cute to me. I have it on my "AC for babies" playlist which has songs I'd imagine could soundtrack and stimulate babies in a nursery

but yeah it also has some screechy / scary sounds so maybe not actually

Absolutely love reading through these. Awesome stuff people.

A few bits that stood out cause I love the descriptions and/or resonate with the idea:

the whole aura of disappointment around CHz has sometimes pulled me under the water but I always emerge again to enjoy it.

Same. Its not my favourite or even top tier but its a fucking great album.

Good Lovin Outside: another great Tong. I wish the opening two lines were their own track sometimes.

YES.

Good Lovin Outside: So many little moments in the vocals i love, like the way they sing "moss all night" and the little "wawawawa!"s and seagull noises.

Also love these bits.

Winter Wonderland: this song probably sums up their whole thing pretty well. It started off as an Ark song so it's got those wild ass drums, the little vocal intro sounds like something from sung tongs, its got classic avey tare ass lyrics. The whole song feels like its about to explode. I wanna bring up there's an arrow again; that song is a perfect example of how good they are at making songs that feel as equally anguished and mournful as they do excited and euphoric. It's all about to burst at the seams. This song feels like the perfect summation of that. Feel like they really honed in on that in the years between their early stuff and SJ. I remember one of my good friends telling me right before we graduated high school he played this song and looked around his bedroom and just kept thinking "it's all happening!" Definitely a song I like to hear when I feel like I'm moving up and onward in my own life.

I have never really noticed this song enough. Even though its on one of my favourite albums of all time. I feel like it has been the one track I have just absent mindedly sung along to in the past. This week I've really enjoyed discovering a whole new side to it. Love these reflections. They've helped me view it in a new light.

There's An Arrow Look folks...I've never listened to Hollindagain. Not Even Once(TM) But this is pretty much exactly what I expected it to sound like!

This blows my mind. You've got one of their most fascinating and wild early gems to discover here man!

the sample that sounds like a cicada stuck inside a piece of Tupperware is possibly the most anxiety-inducing sample in any AC recording. The piercing 'bird call' loop completely ties together the whole song, somehow enough to take it from creepy horror atmosphere to some place a little more breathable.

It's that bizarre contrast that makes this track so interesting. The anxiety and the beauty rubbing up against each other.

Arrow - Really incredible track, the melody is very oddly pretty, as are Geo's shrieks. It definitely has a childlike feel, but with an undercurrent of tension and anxiety. I think this would be my pick if I could only pick one Hollind track to get a studio version.

Will never happen but a beefed up studio version of this would be insane.

Mouth Woo:Also a HUGE thing for me is the first time I heard the "once on a good day" part of post-MBV Defeat, I was like fuuuuuck they've definitely used this melody before. It's taken me till now to realise it's the opening line of Mouth Wooed Her...

I had never noticed this before but its fucking rad.

A Sender: Angels vocals on this one coke off like a synth pad.

Ha! Yes, love this description.

Gooooood. Loving Out. Siiiiiiiiiiiiide.
The whole of Sung Tongs, and Feels, are steeped in this sort of casual yet innocent and intimate sexual feelings... just the pure expression of a time and a place and of some artists in the best way... some of the most sublime work in terms of rhythms. The sea of intermittence is what makes this song feel like being tied up with a lover ... so visceral. Almost makes you want to try to date again... almost.

Beautiful articulation.

There’s An Arrow: Godzilla flipping through his giant deck of cards, and an annoying morning songbird whining loudly from a tree

Love this description!

Mouth Wooed Her: Amazing track. I was listening to Campfire Songs with some friends once and one friend commented on how AC have a a sense of rhythm that just seems to make no sense but somehow they are always locked in and this track is a great example of that.

Love this aspect of their sound - especially the early years. Truly unique.

Nothing to say about KidEatsKeyboard songs that hasn't been said already

If my songs get picked I'd like to change the last song to "Panda Bear - Comfy in Nautica (XXXChange Remix)"

tay's tee games wrote:

Mouth Woo:Also a HUGE thing for me is the first time I heard the "once on a good day" part of post-MBV Defeat, I was like fuuuuuck they've definitely used this melody before. It's taken me till now to realise it's the opening line of Mouth Wooed Her...

I had never noticed this before but its fucking rad.

Was hoping someone would pick up on this. Defeat truther out here. People can't handle it.

there's an arrow
i rarely listen to hollinnd past the opening three song suite, and listening to this for the first time in years is making me feel silly for that. literally from the second it starts it's crackling with that wild creative energy that makes AC the best band. could not begin to tell you why these three simple repeating sonic ideas seem to casually contain some vital lifeforce within their juxtaposition but there it is. if you're hungry for more stuff that feels like this check out early (like youtube-only early) gang gang dance

good lovin outside
still can't quite get this one to work for me. it tries to be a song and a soundscape at once but seems to have so much less of a command over that in-between space than mouth wooed her does. just ends up more disorienting than anything, one of the few animal collective songs i find annoying in the way i surmise most people find most of their songs annoying.

winter wonderland
kinda don't have much to say about this one, just a totally perfect freakpop song. dig those repeating guitar whines during the choruses, they're like the sonic representation of the sleds screaming past you on 100-foot snowdrifts to the sky

rosie oh
i've always liked the cluttered CHz aesthetic but this is the one song i think is really not well served by it. what feels like a neat and homely pop song at heart ends up this sort of drunken shambling thing. really do wish this had ended up on a panda ep or something. something that struck me recently is that i think this is the most atypically lucid lyric sheet of noah's career? until the "i'm on my own etc" 3-part coda, it consists entirely of these long flowing sentences that are totally free of the unironic platitudes or grammatical oddities or mildly offputting imagery that we know and love him for. almost as if avey ghostwrote it (he def didn't but)

when you left me
nice but frustrating in all the ways that post-down there solo avey often is for me, just feels like a song with so much more potential than it's being allowed to fulfill. the "wanna bask in your ritual/finding the perfect day" figure is totally gorgeous—it's a small blinding glimpse of the avey who wrote and sang more than a little of my favorite music—but everything surrounding it feels stunted in some way or another, whether by demoish instrumentation or limp writing. in another world it's one of his best songs but in this one it came out kinda mangled i think

MFPotus’ picks

Purple Bottle (Stevie Wonder version):
Not much else to say that hasn’t already been said but before last week I had no idea there was a studio cut of this version, which was a nice surprise. Knew the story surrounding it but always thought it was destined to stay a live gem. Speaking of which the live at 9:30 PB is much superior than this, I wish they had done something with the Washington Philips interpolation too but oh well. I do love Avey’s intonation during the Stevie bridge, but yeh, album bridge has it beat obviously.

Mouth Wooed Her:
Great track. Absolutely adore the opening guitar passage, feels like the kind of sun shower where the raindrops fall like little bullets in a sparse, sporadic nature. Beautiful outro, beautiful Tongs deep cut. As others have said the last three ST tracks are super underrated.

A Sender:
Slasher House is a huge blind spot for me so this was my first listen. Not really connecting with it as much as I’d hoped. Such a cramped mix and too many ideas. Wish I had more to say :/

An An Angel:
Some folks might be able to find some merit in this early demo but not me. Everything done in this is done in La Rapet ten times better, makes me wish I was listening to that instead. And by Jove that vocal effect is so bloody obnoxious. Pass

Playing the Long Game:
Used to not really dig this one but I am coming around to it. Always fucked hard with the trap instrumental but Pandas melody just never really grabbed me at all. On fresh ears it’s pretty nice but then again it lacks replayability, I don’t think I would have the desire to listen to it for another year or so.

KidEatsKeyboard’s picks

There’s an Arrow:
One of my favourites from Hollinndagain and it’s hard not to see why. Love the downright ominous undertone of this track. The contrast of Avey’s melody and the Reichian synths to the shrieking feedback loop and pandas drumming just proves they are masters of juxtaposition. Sounds like children playing in a war zone.

Good Lovin’ Outside:
Not a whole lot to say on this one but it’s real nice. Love the birdcall-esque vocal burst in the second verse. Definitely one of their horniest tracks too; and it sounds exactly like what the lyrics describe. Just literally having a roll in the hay on a nice autumn day.

Winter Wonderland:
Can definitely feel the roots of Ark in this one. Nice little frenetic jam ala Slippi and some top tier drumming from Panda. Great message about the denial of death but can’t fully relate to the lyrics (coming from an Australian who’s never seen snow in their life). Not a huge SJ standout for me and I find its replay value to wane a bit over time but overall a solid track.

Rosie Oh:
Easily my least favourite on CHz. I’ve tried to get this one but I just can’t. The mixing flaws for this album really stick out on this track and it feels way too long for a three minute song. Which is saying something considering how many places it ends up in. Not digging the assortment of vocal melodies either but I do enjoy the chorus.

When You Left Me:
Been a long time since I’ve listened to Eucalyptus and even then it’s never been on rotation all that much. I like it, don’t love it. The bridge is fantastic but I also think it’s a little unfocused as a whole. But otherwise it’s a nice little send-off from a deeply personal album so respect for that.

Hey everyone, long time lurker here. I feel compelled to post some positive words about Winter Wonderland.

This was the first animal collective song I ever heard. I was tripping, in highschool, in my friends basement. Merriweather had just freebirded because my friend said "they have a new album coming out thats supposed to be amazing. But I'm gonna show you one song of theirs from this album called Strawberry Jam and if you're into it we'll listen to more".

He put on winter wonderland and I stared at the weird breathing shapes in his carpet. I don't think I 'liked' the song on first listen but I was very very intrigued. I was also confused, not just from the acid. I haven't taken acid in years but that sense of confusion and intrigue is how most of my first listens of their songs have felt (less confusion in their current era, but definitely still intrigue).

There is so much going on in this song. I didn't notice things in the mix for probably years after I had first heard it, like the ascending/descending background vocals during the verses. Everything sounds so sparkly and snow covered to me, like the band is playing inside a shaken-up snow globe. The chorus "do you not believe you're dying just because it gets you down" really had an effect on me as a tripping teenager, I feel like I kinda came to grips with my mortality right there, staring at the carpet. Years later, the chorus has lost some of its profundity on me, but the lyrics in the verses is what I appreciate more than ever. The way these guys can invoke such warped, nonsensical but somehow vivd images is incredible to me.

The drums are also so creative, in my opinion some of the best work panda has ever done. I've been drumming since I was like 8 years old and I fancy myself a pretty good drummer, and idk I cant play this anything like he does. Yall have probably seen it but this is a cool video of someone doing a drum cover. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3s6wGqI3_4

I guess I understand the divisiveness of this track and the "AC on autopilot" criticisms but as an introduction to the band, it was perfect. It introduced me to the abrasiveness and the catchiness and the weirdness of the band, and since at least one of those elements can be found in everything they do (imo), I really have yet to find an animal collective song I outright dislike.

purple bottle stevie wonder
the only version of this on youtube has weird audible edits going into and out of the stevie wonder bridge, anyone know what's up with that? like is it a sorta sloppy reconstruction by the uploader or does the white label single version actually just sound like that? anyway i think that it's bullshit that they weren't allowed to use that lyric/melody, no one should have to obtain special permission from rights holders to do interpolations. admittedly before relistening i did think that this was a case of a limitation pushing an artist to come up with an even better idea than their original one (a la kate bush's the sensual world), but on relisten there really is something so wonderfully pure about that stevie interpolation. perfectly good as the reworked version is, it does sound like it's dancing around the rim of beauty rather than diving in unfettered. but of course as others have said the ideal version is on live at 9:30 where he just sings em both in sequence

mouth wooed her
sad that non-heads seem to lump this one in with good lovin and whaddit as part of the letdown last leg of sung tongs; this is an exemplary freak folk song. avey channeling syd barrett so hard on "if i could just fix the clock i'd take you out at breakfast time" with that subtle blend of sweetness with madness. probably the most overwhelmingly sensuous song on the record

a sender
great little opening track, seems to be floating three feet above the ground at all times. it takes its time to get where it's going, but that "coming of the sea" bridge is a primo avey payoff. the arrangement and mix are kind of a mess as has been thoroughly noted but i can't not feel very affectionate towards this one

an an angel
la rapet is one of the best avey songs, no reason not to love this. there's something very SMiLEesque in how the differing sections are placed unceremoniously next to each other with nothing but little gaps of silence to serve as transitions, produces a very similar patchwork effect to something like cabinessence. whereas the thoughtful transitional bits holding la rapet together give it a more bonafide proggy flavor. la rapet is better of course, but i've got no issue loving this for all the same reasons i love listening to the beatles anthologies or similar

playing the long game
hearing this for the first time (i think), obviously out of his comfort zone genre-wise. i think the instrumental is perfectly solid and super pretty, but the problem is that it's not a particularly good panda bear song. maybe the idea was that it would stylistically cohere better if he went for something so dead simple compositionally, but noah's at his best when he's playing by his own rules and convincing you to adopt them through power of suggestion. this feels too much like he's trying and failing to play by someone else's. not a bad song, just not really a success either

Just noticed someone else beat me to Shadow Mine. I'd like to swap in Avey Tare vocal fry (from Transverse Temporal Gyrus) in its place

Just noticed someone else beat me to Shadow Mine. I'd like to swap in Avey Tare vocal fry (from Transverse Temporal Gyrus) in its place

Done!

playing the long game... noah's at his best when he's playing by his own rules and convincing you to adopt them through power of suggestion. this feels too much like he's trying and failing to play by someone else's.

This is exactly how I feel.

There's An Arrow has grown on me so much this week. Thanks KidEatsKeyboard. I used to always long for it to have a more cathartic/furious finish but I've come to really enjoy the way it never quite releases the tension. It adds to that cute but creepy juxtaposition. The anxiety kind of brewing and brewing but the threat never passes. The monster is still lurking in the shadows when the song finishes. The moment of violence never happens and the constant sense of danger just sits with you. Then it abruptly ends and Lablakely jolts you into a different space.

"There's An Arrow" is the newfound gem for me in this first batch of ten.

I'd always regarded the A-side of Hollinn to be perfect but I've struggled with the songs on the B-side. There's some great moments -- and maybe I'll find as a whole they're just 'moments' -- or MAYBE I should give each of the B-side songs their own devoted attention for a bit, and then when listening as a whole I'll realize it too is a masterpiece in hiding, just waiting for me to declare it as such.

MFPotus
Purple Bottle (Stevie Wonder version) - pretty neat to have this version but like the others have been saying, nothing about it seems 'essential.' The album version is much better, happy they got rejected

Mouth Wooed Her - part of the last few songs that kinda blend together despite their quality. It's good, but I've never thought much of this song one way or the other. The ending part is cool but the claps always bother me, just a lot of give and take in this song and uncomfortable sounds. Good Lovin Outside overshadows it in every way for me

A Sender - very ethereal, I've always loved this song. The mixing is like its own instrument, so freaking bizarre and intent on making things as murky as possible. But still the song prevails. I love Angel's little parts during the bridge, that whole section is just great

An An Angel - Yeah I really like this one. I think I might like it more than La Rapet. It loses itself in its demented-ness in a really satisfying way.

Playing The Long Game - I like it. Comes off kinda cheesy though, I kinda hate the way he says mornin' and jukin', idk. Tickled with a gobble... eh.. Besides the lyrics, this is one of those songs that I just feel like something is missing in the live -> studio transition. I can't put my finger on what exactly. Great song otherwise

KidEatsKeyboard

There's An Arrow - one of the best songs in early AC. It's incredibly short but still quite the trip. Has the 10/10 clicks and whirs and then the alarm that sounds like the world ending. Then the DRUMS and yells kick in. It ends with Avey sounding demented as hell. Ugh so good. I've always thought I heard someone in the audience saying, "I want these guys out, now" at the end lol

Good Lovin Outside - this song really clicked for me after the recent ST tour. It's magical. Not much to say but it's close to peak AC. Has all the elements I love about this band. Saccharine sweetness melded with childhood naiveté and the honesty that comes with that, and some crazy sonic elements. I honestly just wish this song was a bit longer

Winter Wonderland - not a fan. It sounds like a smear to me. Really don't like the "oooh oooh oohs" after the chorus. Most of this reminds me of 90s indie rock. Sorry

Rosie Oh - Love it. A really important part of Chz, it's messy and confused, both lyrically and sonically. As others have pointed out, the song structure is kinda wild. I have nothing interesting to say about this song, it's just quality

When You Left Me - Love. I always think of the time I played this song while driving in the mountains with my ex, lol. It's just so fucking good. I almost have reverse demoitis after he knocked it out of the park with Jeremy and Deakin, but the album version just works so well on me. When I'm in the right mood, tears. Great ending to one of my favorite albums

Have been getting swamped with too much stuff but want to at least contribute to this pie:

PB (SWV): The Stevie Wonder part is, as many have said, cool or at the least an interesting way the song could have gone. I prefer studios lyrics. This was the first song of AC that made me fall in love with Panda drums. Really shows how good he is at it and how interesting his sonic choices are.

Mouth Wooed Her: Reminds me of first semester of college when I first got deep into this album (Fall 2014). Every song on Sung Tongs is really lovely and has such a distilled version of the band’s sound, and Mouth Wooed Her is no exception. Love the ending.

A sender: Favorite non-single from Slasher Flicks. So jammy and really we wouldn’t have skiffs or now without this record from Avey. Has the propulsion of classics like the Purple Bottle but the power trio rock sound. Angel kills it.

An an angel: I haven’t given spirit too much time and have never been too close with it, so on first listen, barely realized this was a redone song. Think I prefer this version but i’m also a bigger fan of electronics and this delivers that.

Playing the long game: love both the immediacy and intricacy of this one. can play it at a party and it slips through almost unnoticed next to hip hop songs. There is a lot going on subtlety though which is why it’s not a one and done for me.

There’s an arrow: Making me think I should listen to Hollinddagain, as I haven’t ventured back past Campfire Songs/ Ark (other than Spirit). Biggest take away is how much space there is and how much you feel like you’re in the room these sounds are being produced in.

Good loving: My mom hates this song bc there’s not a clear cadence. I love the song because there isn’t a clear cadence.

Winter wonderland: An initial favorite on Strawberry Jam that to me has grown stale in comparison to others. Fine but not my favorite; SJ is probably their most inconsistent album IMO.

Rosie: Refer to previous post, one of my favorites.

When you left me: Hearing solo, hits really hard. At the end of Eucalyptus I usually am worn out of the Avey acoustic thing (though I appreciate how consistent the album is and find it one of Aveys best for that). Just being drenched in Eucalyptus, by the end, some of the effects have worn off. but giving it a solo listen, so many details come out I haven’t heard and yeah what way to end a break up album. such an earnest cry to his former lover

Purple Stevie
Really focused in to the mixing this listen through, never noticed how well crafted the stereo space was before on this song. The two guitars sound like they’re in a frenzy in either channel. Also just tuned in to some of the lower range stuff Kris is playing in the back half of this song, it has the quality of falling down the stairs Lolol. The YouTube rip of this song for some reason has a skip right at the start and end of the Stevie Wonder second which makes it stick out more than I think it would without the skip. I think my ultimate version of this song would be the “can I tell you” version first and the “I just called” version second, the way they do live a lot. They contrast each other well, the album version falls down goes down in melody while making these large intervalic leaps, while the Stevie version ascends hopefully with very small intervals between notes. The two paired together is kind of unbeatable. I forget is that how they do it at 9:30? Also love all the vocal overdubs, always have and always will. This song is such a fucking romp.

Moo Woo
This song is insane ahaha. Sung Tongs was my first AC record. I used to listen to it on my boombox as I was going to sleep when I was a teenager. Still really focused on stereo imaging so really tuned into the slow panning vox this go around, extremely disorienting and amazing. I love the cooing at the beginning, like trying to gently coax out an Avey monster Lolol. The last section is so insane, I have no idea how the fuck it works, but it’s so insanely beautiful and disjointed. The guitars call and response is nuts, the placements of the claps is nuts. That it all works is nuts.

Ass Ender
I share a lot of the criticisms of Slasher Flicks that others have expressed, but also have a really soft spot in my heart for it too. Of all the Slasher House songs this one is by far my favorite. Honestly I see parallels between it and Purple Bottle. Avey’s melody is urgent, filled with momentum. The sound scape is really lovely, Deradoorian’s bass is fantastic. The whole thing feels sentinel surfy, and profoundly red somehow. The middle freak out is perfect, that melody and build is just stunning to me. My biggest gripes with this song and this record as a whole is that I feel like Avey’s vocals are really buried in volume, and missing a lot of low end. I also really wish Jeremy’s drums were beefier in the mix. I feel like they tried to mix it almost like an old rock n roll novelty halloween record, but the sounds aren’t really served justice by that style of mixing.

AAA
Whoa I had that same speak and spell that’s sampled at the start of the song. Honestly really interesting to hear the small differences in orchestration and arrangement. Definitely was improved on Spirit. The weird bubbly percussion in the background is really distracting, and the weird voice fx is really hilarious lol. I love a lot of the slower synth parts in this version though. And I do still sometimes dream of a Spirit mix, where the vocals are just a little louder. I also feel like the weird wind effect on the “birds are coming for you” is really nice, gives that section a super ominous feel, like a villain emerging from a dust cloud hehehe.

Play play long game
This song is straight up hilarious lol. But also kinda dope. I like the melody a lot actually! I think it’s really groovy, has a lot of swagger, at least for one of the singers of an experimental indie pop band lol. The words have an undeniable swerve to them. It has been so interesting following panda’s lyricism throughout his career. I really love this voice he’s found, skateboard prophet vibes. The best itself is pretty sick. The trap sound world never attracted me that much, but I’ve always been curious to confront that bias. Any of y’all have some tunes that you’d recommend?

Thanks for this thread, this was a fun exercise!

Ass Ender
My biggest gripes with this song and this record as a whole is that I feel like Avey’s vocals are really buried in volume, and missing a lot of low end. I also really wish Jeremy’s drums were beefier in the mix. I feel like they tried to mix it almost like an old rock n roll novelty halloween record, but the sounds aren’t really served justice by that style of mixing.

Yeah exactly, great way of putting it. I wish we could hear an alternate mix, maybe there's one that will somehow surface one day...

AAA
I also feel like the weird wind effect on the “birds are coming for you” is really nice, gives that section a super ominous feel, like a villain emerging from a dust cloud hehehe.

When I read that, I was instantly reminded of the Greaper. You're so right, it sounds spooky as hell

Great to read some last minute thoughts on this week’s selections.

Loving this. So glad people have gotten behind it.

This week I think the big winners for me were:

There’s An Arrow: has really moved up in my esteem and helped me unlock the second half of Hollinndagain in new ways.

WWL: Have learned to enjoy it purely as a thrilling sugar rush rock song that doesn’t need to be some grand statement in the fabric of the album.


Playing The Long Game will remain a random curiosity. Have listened 4 times this week but it still feels like Noah trying to rock corn rows or something.

i truly wasn't aware that winter wonderland was a mildly contentious song before this week lol

even if it is very poppy and peppy i think it would be a mistake to think of it as any less depressed or tragic of a song than FRG or fwx. it only *sounds* like a two-minute sugar blast of childhood wonder; avey is smiling when he's crying. it's a front, a frenzied and desperate final attempt to retreat entirely into shelter of nostalgia that ultimately only accelerates total breakdown in the form of cuckoo cuckoo, to which WWL is essentially a glorified prelude. vital part of the record imo

come to think of it the chorus could easily be thought of as a sort of internal back and forth between escapist and realistic selves. the avey hiding in neverland jabs "do you not believe in fantasy just because it gets you down?" and avey the wasted depressed brooklyner retorts "do you not believe you're dying just because it gets you down?"

it’s interesting to think of Strawberry Jam as containing this linear narrative of Avey, i’ll have to revisit with that in mind. SJ to me has always felt like the songs alone are so strong, but they aren’t as cohesive sonically (which was a gripe with 7s too). I’ll listen today

thinking about it harder, i feel like peacebone is maybe the glimmer of true maturity from avey on SJ. "an obsession with the past is like a dead fly/and just a few things are related to the old times/then we did believe in magic and we did die/it's not my words that you should follow, it's your insides" has always read to me as avey gently chastising himself for all the mental tendencies he's about to demonstrate over the course of the record. i think that's the only song other than derek that could've served as an appropriate closer thematically; as it is it functions as sort of a preemptive disclaimer

Never thought about it before but yeh, Peacebone could work really well as a closer. Thematically, lyrically and musically.

it’s interesting to think of Strawberry Jam as containing this linear narrative of Avey, i’ll have to revisit with that in mind. SJ to me has always felt like the songs alone are so strong, but they aren’t as cohesive sonically (which was a gripe with 7s too). I’ll listen today

I had this same gripe with 7s but I put it on during a long train ride yesterday and I have to say it feels pretty cohesive in its own way. Like this might sound like a bit of a cop out but the level of variety on that album is really what unifies it. And there are consistent sonics too - most prominently all the buzzing and whirring going on in the background - like the whole record lives in this electronic swamp inhabited by little metal bugs (considering other recent work like Bug Mall and Gator Pools I'd say this is likely intentional.) Also first time really noticing the hocketing on Lips at Night which was muy wavy

it’s interesting to think of Strawberry Jam as containing this linear narrative of Avey, i’ll have to revisit with that in mind. SJ to me has always felt like the songs alone are so strong, but they aren’t as cohesive sonically (which was a gripe with 7s too). I’ll listen today

Honestly might help me out too. Hard to admit but uhh it's definitely my least favorite of the "golden ones" in full but each track separate I fucking cream to (I can only listen to FRG/FWX as a suite though). So it's still S+++ or whatever I just listen to the songs separately way more than I do their other albums. Always struggled to find a certain narrative and thought of strawberry jam as a title being like "yeah this is all mixed up and splattered around", which honestly might be the hot take I've been avoiding to admit.

I don't particular care for the title of Strawberry Jam. I think it kind of detracts from the album, whereas all their other works to me really benefit from the title. Like I get it and I think when you hear Cobwebs it really electrifies (pun intended) the meaning of strawberry jam, but I think as a cover and having the album start with the cacophony of Peacebone has made me sorta feel disjointed before each listen. To me it sorta makes the album really start at Unsolved Mysteries and makes more sense linearly even if it isn't an opener. Honestly .... Maybe it should've started with Safer...

Still think Derek is one of the reasons why I think they're such a top tier closing band. They always know then to choose an epic or an epilogue, and God if Derek isn't one of their prime epilogue closers.

Anyway thanks for recommending to me what album to listen to right now! Haven't heard jam in full in a few months...