Collected Animals

During my first listen through I kept saying to myself "hey, that's a really good melody". I think Panda found a way to work in some classic melodic tools more effectively this time around than he often does. For example, simple repeating melodic phrases with slight upwards shift with each repeat of the phrase:

On my knees, I'm kneeling thankfully
I'm an actor in a fantasy
I'm swimming in an agony
I'm a factor in a fallacy

Each line slightly melodically rises from the previous, and then he repeats the whole refrain in a higher pitch. Perfect.
The melodies often just feel classic. Combined with a relatively more straightforward sound and I think we've got a winner in more general widespread reception.

Like others have said, this is in the top tier of track sequencing too, especially coming after IIN (which I love, but I still the sequence of the album is a little odd).

Just wanted to appreciate that they made a special colored vinyl for independent record stores only. I've made some of my closest friendships at record stores and always feel at home there. Would be a sad day to see them close down like movie theaters have in California. Also, when you trade in old records for store credit to get new records it gives that utopia feeling of money not existing. :^))

Yeah I got a clearish blue one from my local store. Looks great.

yep, got the transparent blue from my rec store too

my least favorite thing about the record is the cover art - i generally like rivka's paintings but wasn't a huge fan the cover unfortunately and was bummed to see it replicated on the back.......always pictured a bit more of a 'modern style' for the album art for SG, but knowing the backstory of the album and listening to the lyrics the cover makes a lot of sense

honestly the painting she made for the cover of Entertainment,Death would've worked for the Sinister Grift cover as well

isnt the cover a reference to tomboy tho?

isnt the cover a reference to tomboy tho?

Nah, it wasn't painted with the intention of being a PB cover. Noah had it hanging in his house or his studio and he thought it fit the vibe

yep, got the transparent blue from my rec store too

my least favorite thing about the record is the cover art - i generally like rivka's paintings but wasn't a huge fan the cover unfortunately and was bummed to see it replicated on the back.......always pictured a bit more of a 'modern style' for the album art for SG, but knowing the backstory of the album and listening to the lyrics the cover makes a lot of sense

honestly the painting she made for the cover of Entertainment,Death would've worked for the Sinister Grift cover as well

what i really like about it that i think saves it is the P A N D A B E A R S I N I S T E R G R I F T printed in little white dots in the background, it looks cool, elevates the painting itself!

Yeah agreed, the title print wallpapered on the painting makes the cover look cool. Kinda lame that the back art is the same tho, and also the insert had duplicates of two other paintings which in my opinion felt kinda pointless and lazy. I like her paintings, just not the aesthetic choice of redundancy.

Hi all

I also think this is a brilliant album, and have had it on loop for a few days. It feels like a companion to Reset to me, and my favourites (at the moment) are Praise, 50mg, Venom's In and Elegy For Noah Lou.

Haven't been around in a minute myself but just wanted to pop on by to say this record is really sunk its fangs in and the venom's in.

I think Deakin and Panda did a fantastic job with this project and it's a highlight for sure. It's really a showcase of how far along they have come technically as well as songwriting and sound. Top notch shit. Congratulations to all involved!

What a fantastic record!

I feel like it’s a good sign when everyday I have a new favorite song on a record and that’s been happening with this and the new Darkside album all week

Just been listening to some of the live recordings from the SG shows and my god I'm so excited for a live record. The version of Tomboy they are performing is astounding.

(also yeah that darkside album rips)

handclaps and tambo in Praise are insanely good

Anyone find yet the digital Virginia Tech Japanese bonus track yet? Eager to hear that one crispy

anybody got dem chords... wanna add em to the chords section... I wanna play these so bad but im chord deaf and also dont rlly wanna do his tuning but maybe I should. I wanna play like friggin all of these. except defense, defense blows lol jk

yo i plan on posting them over there soon.

(edit - posted)

Anyone find yet the digital Virginia Tech Japanese bonus track yet? Eager to hear that one crispy

someone posted the FLAC on the reddit yesterday! if it's gone, send me a PM.

Virginia Tech flac from the Japanese release is out there

Found a new hill to die on: Virginia Tech is the proper closer after Defense. It serves the role of being an epilogue; a credits song.

ya, i'm right there with you, have to play it after Defense every time. shame it didn't make the cut and is not on streaming services for all those who only know music exists if it's on DSPs. too good to be relegated only to the fans

handclaps and tambo in Praise are insanely good

Ive also been thinking about this lol. I just recorded an album with a friend and i did a bunch of percussion, and i’m so jealous of how perfect the claps and tambo are on that song

I'm a bit late to the game and just bought the album on bandcamp Friday. Nothing but treats from start to the end on sinister grift. Absolutely wonderful!

Kinda obsessed with Ends Meet. As soon as those chords start, I feel like "the drugs kicked in", serotonin sanctuary, in my happy place, pure vibes. Usually play it 4 times in a row and then onto the next track. Avey killed that noise solo, : ^ ))

I like how Defense is def a light at the end of the tunnel, but not a super sweet artificial forced light. The chorus feels like its the start of a chorus but it cuts out before it really gets to begin. When I think of the song in my head I play the "If you've got an alibi" part about 4 times. Also, Deakin's piano notes are really substantial to the song. Like it keeps that chorus sustained in a unique way. I think it's cool how Defense still sounds sad, but not the harrowing depth of Elegy. Kinda gives the album arc the same feeling as a great film. Sometimes the Panda/AC decisions to stray away from conventional verse chorus formats kinda irk me cuz I wanna feel the song in a familiar way, but the unique songwriting is also one of the reasons they're my favorite band (miles ahead of #2). Like I gotta think why did he just give me a glimpse of a chorus.

venom's in worked its way into me. one of most emotionally heavy songs in the AC verse for me. it's like Panda's Daffy Duck.

Defense is such an absolutely stellar closer. like x8 power at the end of this album vs. as a single. it's just got that epilogue feel, stepping out into the crisp morning air taking that first deep breath and walking down the street, life moving on.

venom's in also really hitting me rn. in fact the whole descent in the second half becomes more and more real and powerful over time. and like you said, defense just works perfectly as a defiant little parting of the clouds at the end.

crisp Virginia Tech really slaps, don't think it makes a good closer since Defense already closes the album so well but it would've made a great track 2. not sure why it was cut!

crisp Virginia Tech really slaps, don't think it makes a good closer since Defense already closes the album so well but it would've made a great track 2. not sure why it was cut!

I was thinking the same as Track 2. Or mayyybe even the opener? The jam second half part of VA Tech is super beautiful, makes me think of that Spacemen 3 fuzzy drone zone, but also 60s in a traveling Silver Apples way. I wish that jam part was 2 or 3 mins longer. I kinda wanna live in that sonic zone cuz its hella engaging and immersive like the "lose my body for the night" part in In The Flowers.

I guess from that Jordan Randall interview, Panda said it didn't make it cuz it wasn't done in time and didn't quite fit the album.

What a beautiful record. Seeing PB and co. perform these live in TO reinvigorated a certain energy in me and hearing the album as produced just locks that energy in. Timeless melodies and the warmest sonic hugs when it comes to the production. The arc of the whole thing reminds me of closing my eyes in my dorm room and listening to AC. Reminds me of watching a film. It all moves with a singular flow. Bravo.

scrambledgreggs wrote:

crisp Virginia Tech really slaps, don't think it makes a good closer since Defense already closes the album so well but it would've made a great track 2. not sure why it was cut!

I was thinking the same as Track 2. Or mayyybe even the opener? The jam second half part of VA Tech is super beautiful, makes me think of that Spacemen 3 fuzzy drone zone, but also 60s in a traveling Silver Apples way. I wish that jam part was 2 or 3 mins longer. I kinda wanna live in that sonic zone cuz its hella engaging and immersive like the "lose my body for the night" part in In The Flowers.

I guess from that Jordan Randall interview, Panda said it didn't make it cuz it wasn't done in time and didn't quite fit the album.

i want it after just as well. JAW is such a fun jam and after it im hungry for a little higher tempo / harder drums. think VT would be perfect there. ferry lady after JAW kills my buzz just a litttttle.

i want it after just as well. JAW is such a fun jam and after it im hungry for a little higher tempo / harder drums. think VT would be perfect there. ferry lady after JAW kills my buzz just a litttttle.

Amen! The string of 50mg thru JAW deserves one last blast before things slow down with Ferry. Agreed!

Look guys, no hate, I love this album, and I even think I "get" Defense, but.... I do not really like Defense at all. And I don't think it sounds like anything else on this album. Delete it and replace with VT. VT sounds different too but o well I like it more. And like, Venom's in, Cold and Elegy are unique too obviously but what I'm saying is the other fast tracks definitely flow together real nice. Defense is just. Hm idk. Not great. (Imo!!)

is it just me or does venoms in's guitars sound the closest to madrid/the practices? kin da interesting how much they remind me of how the guitar sounded in those boots. i really love this song. unexpected for me. guitar sounds like it was delay'd to the point it sounds like it was recorded off a webcam mic, that chorus is so poignant though. it strikes me

"...get cleaned by the flame"

"i'm getting tired, of saying the name"

V tech is arguably the best track of this bunch, crazily enough. at least instrumentally, it's incredible. kinda got a bad deal because it definitely sticks out from everything else, and I agree that it doesn't really fit into the story of the album. should at least be freed from vinyl/youtube only purgatory

Saw PB live and can't get enough of the album. It's so good.

But the bootlegs from the live show are sustaining me. Something about the live arrangements have so much energy and drone like a MFer. I liiiiike it a loooot

I too am hoping for a nicely mixed live version. I'd die and go to heaven

Whenever I put this on, it seems to fly by. Aside from Praise, none of the songs absolutely leap out at me but it's so beautifully paced. I also think it features the best 'drifting' Panda songs since I'm Not. Tropic is a slower song and it's beautiful, but it doesn't breathe in the same way (nor does it intend to). It's actually quite poppy in structure. Venom's In really sets up the next two wonderfully well to stretch out even further and deeper. I get the reservations about Defense but, as someone else said, it's kind of like the song playing over the credits rather than the final word, which Elegy does feel like.

Virginia Tech is great, I love the bendy guitar and energy, but it's a bit too raucous to fit neatly anywhere. I'm happy enough with its role as an extra. It's almost like a studio take on the live sound. Agreed also that a live album would be fucking fantastic. I don't have any demoitis, having hardly listened to the boots in advance, but I've loved exploring them since the album release.

Venom's In started off as my least favorite song on the album but it has slowly climbed the ranks to becoming a standout. Can't get enough of it.

Virginia Tech sounds like a late 60s psych pop tune with a bit of Homies/Painting With style thrown in. Totally rad song and could have fit imo. Its good enough to deserve a spot on an album. But you can't have em all.

defense is a highlight of panda's stripped down songwriting imo. it's the simple way everything rhythmically lands against the drums. panda's guitar playing to the onbeat while the delays land in between, forming another slight rhythmic element. his vocals starting the high note on the offbeat ('IF') before descending the octave each onbeat ('you - got - an - alibi') followed by the catharsis of holding the long note on 'gimme sooome.' you could see it as the rigid beat is like a stand-in for the personal trials he's singing about, or any immutable circumstance or obstacle, and the vocal maneuvering is the journey going from defiant pleading, getting knocked down low, and finding strength there. an appropriate ending statement for the album.

i like virginia tech as its own adjacent thing. it's doomed to obscurity in a sense, but increasingly that kind of thing feels like a gift. makes it special.

very well said pox, totally agree on defense

Why did Noah Lennox say that his song "Ends Meet" reminds him of "Monster Mash"?

Why did Noah Lennox say that his song "Ends Meet" reminds him of "Monster Mash"?

Because the backing vocals come in with the same energy as the "He did the Mash" backing vocals in monster mash

dio wrote:

anybody got dem chords... wanna add em to the chords section... I wanna play these so bad but im chord deaf and also dont rlly wanna do his tuning but maybe I should. I wanna play like friggin all of these. except defense, defense blows lol jk

yo i plan on posting them over there soon.

(edit - posted)

ty so so much. ill get hours of entertainment from that ty, easy fun