Collected Animals

to me its always felt like panda bear makes music that caters to those who enjoy drum machines

this is a subtle distinction but i think yr right. not in the navel gazey noodly way that synth worship stuff is but sort of an appreciation of a machine doing it's thing

I find that the general vibe and atmosphere of this album makes more sense if you watch it with muted footage of mudskippers, like this :



or something like this:

Hey fam sorry to bother with this but is there a good rip around ? ie one that doesnt skip ?
<3 <3

just got back from my lil holiday, skipped the 15 pages this thread gained since I last checked
listening to my record

just finished side a
very much enjoying myself
open your eyes! x99

time for some fruity weet-bix with side b

@sparagmos fully agree!! one might assume otherwise with such persistent drum machines and synths, but this release actually has a very airy, nature-y, cruisy atmosphere

pb's instinct for harmony is amazing

to me this is like his sleep cycle

strangely i dont think the title of the album suits very well with the sound, its too dark to be "a day" and too solitary to be "with the homies"

There is indeed something murky and slightly deranged about this release and the laid back vibe of the title makes it that much more so to me

Is everything okay Panda?

i really dig it... more so by the day. i almost feel like its weirdly in between PW and Eucalyptus in that PW is like this melodic/textural pyrotechnic display that isnt all that emotionally deep, whereas Euc is this really--for lack of a better term-- emotional kind of personal album, and this feels kind of in the middle. it's as sonically interesting as PW despite having a dirty mix, and yet has this weird emotional resonance and consistency to me that i dont even always get out of panda

im just so impressed by how he's come into his own as a lyricist. like damn, he's got this whole weird shamanic kind of obtuse quality that has come a long way since tomboy imo. like he's always been great but theres been a pretty clear shift since PP whereas back then it was cool to hear him using plain-spoken language over abstract sounding music, now it's like he's steeped in metaphors and symbolism... and yet they resonate with me more than most of PW, since that album is more of a sonic amusement park attraction for me, which is dope in its own way. pbvsgr was like that as well save for tropic/lonely wanderer/selfish/ctys, some of those being sonically AND "emotionally" heavy

i could go for some more ballads from him tho, we usually only get 1 or 2 per past 2 albums... maybe there will b one on BUOY


o except still dont get "fingers everyone", wtf does that mean

o except still dont get "fingers everyone", wtf does that mean

Take it literally :hannity:

Fingers everyone = drink yr shots

A Week With A Day With The Homies:
This week I listened to the EP about 50 times.
Things I liked:
- Vocal melodies and harmonies on Flight, especially during the "Can't be goodbye. Goodbye good crew." part.
- "Animal. Mineral. Vegetable" section of PotM.
- Vocal quality/harmonies on Shepards Tone.
- Bass and kick drums that rattle your house in Nod To The Folks.
- Sunset. A killer track in so many ways. Great melodies. Great instrumentation (gotta love that melodica). Great lyrics.

Things I didn't like so much:
- Goofy lyrics in Flight. "Doo doo" "Pecker" that thing about the uncle.
- Emotionally evocative vocal melodies are too short. Example: "Can't be goodbye. Goodbye good crew." in Flight or "Animal Mineral Vegetable" part in PotM
- Low end vocals in Nod To The Folks and Sunset. They sound almost as if they are pitch shifted down.
- No high end vocals in the chorus of Nod to the Folks as they were delivered during the Desert Daze performance. (This was crushing for me actually)

Overall I would have to say despite all the things I don't like, I would rate this EP quite highly. Its got the right grooves and the right tone to bring the body to a dance (a weird one but a dance nontheless).

The super low end mix: sounds like it's being played from underneath the earth. But you can't bury Panda's sound it only comes through stronger.

The lyrics cover some ground that I wasn't aware Noah was comfortable doing. It is a rather depressing album lyrically but that makes me like it more. Yeah the EP title is ill fitting but i see it as a shout out to one of his biggest influencers, Dilla. Also it was recorded at home and the YouTube videos he recommended on the sleeve are clips of some of his influences... I see the "homies" more as the artists Panda is "chillin" with at home. Not so much Dave, Brian and Josh.

I am a bit worried that Panda is planning a departure from AnCo or god forbid music in general. Seems to be what Flight is anchored around. "We're not selling" makes me reflect on Aveys tour that got cornpilled mostly due to poor sales. Sunset also hints at the end of a day or time period and moving on to something new. He talks about how he was lucky by finding money on the ground everyday. He doesn't feel like he needs to be "chained to this thing" (possible reference to AnCo) and maybe even directly references the Painting With tour/era with in the chorus.

Let me break it down:

"when it's on it's on, nothing in the way" (when people are diggin' it at the shows the band still feels unstoppable)
"go vagabond" (a person who wanders from place to place like AnCo do album to album)
"lay it on the lawn" (maybe direct reference to Lying on The Grass)
"but without a thing to say" (many critiques about Painting With were that it was lacking lyrical substance)
"its a big show even if they're painted on" (this seems like it could be a nod to their cartoon avatars on stage during the Painting With shows)
"and we've only got ourselves to blame" (they created that album, so they gotta tour it)

Anyway that's what I got from listening to this thing for a week straight.

If I had to rate it out of 10 (which I don't) I would give it an 8.5

the EP title is ill fitting

are you kidding? this EP is such a day with the homies

also I seriously doubt that he'd make so much of the lyrics about painting with, especially in a negative sense. like "lay it on the lawn" is just an expression, I dont think it has anything to do with LITG. i feel like every time theres a new solo release from any of them, people say ITS A SIGN THEYRE LEAVING THE BAND / THEY DONT LIKE WHAT THE BAND HAS BEEN DOING. i just dont think noah thinks in terms like that about his music.

i dont think we have to worry about any of the members of AC splitting from the band or not making music any time soon. i feel like they'll be going until they can't

Guys i'm sorry to be so brazen but i asked a cuople folks via PM and never got a response so i must submit to risking public chastisement by humbly requesting a link...

I did purchase the album if that helps. I haven't been able to listen as of yet, however, because my record player belt is shot so i'm currently experiencing untold Panda blue balls. HELP PLZ! (and ty)..

EDIT: All good, thanks again

People have been saying Noah's lyrics signal him leaving AC since Person Pitch. Bros, Friendship Bracelet, Rosie Oh, New Town Burnout, etc. etc. Panda isn't going anywhere

"when it's on it's on, nothing in the way" (when people are diggin' it at the shows the band still feels unstoppable)
"go vagabond" (a person who wanders from place to place like AnCo do album to album)
"lay it on the lawn" (maybe direct reference to Lying on The Grass)
"but without a thing to say" (many critiques about Painting With were that it was lacking lyrical substance)
"its a big show even if they're painted on" (this seems like it could be a nod to their cartoon avatars on stage during the Painting With shows)
"and we've only got ourselves to blame" (they created that album, so they gotta tour it)

your interpretation assumes that Noah would be ashamed of Painting With and that people didn't vibe with the live shows on that tour, both of which are false

that interpretation....hmmm...

your interpretation assumes that Noah would be ashamed of Painting With and that people didn't vibe with the live shows on that tour, both of which are false

Exactly. Noah even said in one interview after the album was out (maybe the Reddit ama) that PW was one of the top 3 favorite albums he's made (or something t that effect).

Need a music video for Part of the Math that's just a montage of Noah walking away from explosions in slomo

holy shit i just played "flight" at 45rpm and it is the BEST. like a panda bear chipmunk song. harmonies are amazing pitched up too.

lol 'not selling' is not about aveys tour getting reduced cuz of low ticket sales, we never even got a real reason beyond "logistical" things, i think some of those shows sold out lollll.

anyway, rest of yr thoughts beyond panda-leaving theory is cool tho, but ya the panda-leaving stuff is like a weird idea that has haunted us/this forum since before 07 via bros single weird, like why does panda trigger abandonment issues in all of us

this new music feels social and political, doesnt feel like a personal statement about the state of animal collective or his friends efforts.

that would just be a weird thing to base a whole EP around, and would actually be a kinda psycho way of letting people know you feel uncertain and critical about things you/your best friends do lol.

also im interested in the idea that these songs arent necessary from panda bears perspective. that they could possibly be narrating a more cosmic character. similar to how grim reaper dealt with death.

it seems he found a new way of writing lyrics since tomboy and person pitch

It's kinda crazy how sparse this whole EP is! The bass and drums both are honestly fairly simple and really crisp, no delay on them. There seems to be little actual moments of silence between each bass note, only punctuated by how Panda's voice has some reverb on it and it drifts in the silence a bit.
It kinda only seems to be drums, bass and Panda voice, with some sample or light synth used more as rhythm. It works really well. It's not like Person Pitch where sounds are all blended together, or Tomboy where the idea was born, or Meets the GR where there again are lots of sounds and samples that lead the way.
Here, Panda's voice takes full attention while the fantastic drum and bass tones color all the rest of the music that's needed. It's really simple and it's beautiful and instead of overwhelming you with good sounds, it allows the purest beautiful meaning to come forth and shine.
I'm liking this version of Panda

I've grown to believe this is one of PB's best releases

it totally is. i’m obsessed, its wonderful. its bringing me seemingly endless joy right now

It's very consistent. I think the shorter form really suits him. Obviously Person Pitch wasn't too much longer than this, either. As much as I didn’t like certain aspects of Greaper, there's a fuckin brilliant EP in there. I don't think I'd change anything about Tomboy's tracklisting, mind you.

Tomboy I'd perhaps drop Friendship Bracelet. And MAYBE sub out Slow Motion for og Preakness
Its my favourite album of his though so idk.

I take it back, slow motion is sick

It's very consistent. I think the shorter form really suits him. Obviously Person Pitch wasn't too much longer than this, either. As much as I didn’t like certain aspects of Greaper, there's a fuckin brilliant EP in there. I don't think I'd change anything about Tomboy's tracklisting, mind you.

idk person pitch is 1.5 times as long, not really short for an album by any means. closer in length to greaper and tomboy than homies. young prayer is the same as homies, tho.

the ep feels more in the style of the PP and tomboy singles released before the albums. songs made around the same time but not a cohesive statement on its own.

I take it back, slow motion is sick

slow motion is my official walking song...like put it thru some headphones and just wander about downtown feeling cool. one of my favs off tomboy actually. tho not a huge tomboy fan i guess...HUGE preakness fan, fav panda song no doubt

also im interested in the idea that these songs arent necessary from panda bears perspective. that they could possibly be narrating a more cosmic character. similar to how grim reaper dealt with death.

it seems he found a new way of writing lyrics since tomboy and person pitch

yeh totally the witty inner guru
are there any interviews yet discussing this release?

No interviews. And I think that’s deliberate.

I doubt Noah likes interviews. And I think the less we know, the more the album will remain magical.

love this a lot but speaking of tomboy i do miss his guitar a bit... some beautiful chorused out guitar on that thing...


also i was listening back to pbvsgr bangers for comparison and damn stuff like mr noah and ctys has SO much extra sampling and sound-design, and its all cool stuff, but it makes those recordings, for as clean and accessible as they are in some ways, sounds pretty fucking noisy, which is weird cuz its liek noisy in a totally different way than ADWTH, which is minimal af by comparison but dirty in its own way.

the ep feels more in the style of the PP and tomboy singles released before the albums. songs made around the same time but not a cohesive statement on its own.

from the promo email:
"The songs aren’t lyrically linear or narrative as such, though I did scatter pieces of longer-chewed themes across the tracks. I find they still work satisfactorily alone, but strengthen each other’s messages when combined. "

Flight - Panda flies over seas to see his good crew, AC boys
Part of the Math - Some say music is math. The AC homies start practicing old and new stuff.
Shepard Tone - The pre-show jitters.
Nod to the Folks - The show is on! They give their nod to the folks.
Sunset - When the show is over and the day is done. Tomorrow is a new beginning.

Now all of the above is ofc complete bs. But it's fun to speculate.

Just checking, is the best rip out there still the original one that ClownFrown "BlasterMaster"ed?

I'm still listening to the "blaster master"

I love this EP so much. also not (completely) related but funny:
EDIT Full article here: http://thehardtimes.net/music/panda-bea ... captivity/

Just checking, is the best rip out there still the original one that ClownFrown "BlasterMaster"ed?

I'm getting a new turntable and cartridge next week (very nice ones!) and I'm going to do a pristine rip at that time. No skips or clips. I'll do a big crunchatize folder with the pure vinyl files (no processing) as well as BlasterMastered files.