Collected Animals

also I think the third section of Defeat (once on a good day) is the best part of the album and one of the most transcendent segments in the history of AC. that song is such a triumph. agree that it shouldn't have been a single because it lessens the initial impact it has as the album centerpiece

Spectacular sublime this album is 10/10

Demo jamming tease on a insta, may be more to come

Finally got a chance to listen. I bought some wine and top-shelf weed and made a night of it with my partner, who is a big fan but not "posts on the forums" big. In the end, she enjoyed it but said it sounds like a b-sides album and she much prefers Skiffs, and she was shocked when I expressed the opposite opinion.

Tons of surprises on this thing, both small and large, even for someone familiar with the boots. I've been waiting for a studio version of these panda songs for like 5 years and it feels extremely gratifying to hear them really nail it. Broke Zodiac especially. Perfect song.

Gem and I sounds great too, though different than how I envisioned. The bum bums feel 100% necessary as a percussive, rhythmic element set against the groans. Really don't understand those who interpret them as an ironic joke or something. When has this band ever traded in irony? Panda is always putting sweet lighthearted bossa nova jams on his mixes, and the bum bums feel right in line with that stuff. The abrupt transition after Defeat made us both go "what the fuck"

Magicians from Baltimore sounds way crazier than I remember it being, but what a cool song. The "long drive" part with the crazy guitar bends and drum fills is just a total mind blender. Makes me want to eat a mountaintop.

Stride is great and has way more parts than I remember. For some reason I had always remembered it as a simplistic song, but it's actually a big unfurling psych ballad.

ACAB really does sound like MGMT doing Scooby Doo, but it's not as out-of-left-field as others' posts led me to believe. I think it fits just fine! Like i said before, they always throw a stylistic curveball in the penultimate slot (Pulleys, No More Runnin, We Go Back, Golden Gal). I can't wait to hear this song live someday, god willing.

Genie's Open is going to take a bit to grow. Really expected that jam at the end to be explosive, instead it's kind of sleek and slippery. I love the delay on Panda's "sea LIGHT light light light."

The real kicker for this album is the production, my god. Their voices sound perfect, so raw and gritty and warm. I can't wait to dive back in later today and just luxuriate in the details.

lol the night I go on a week long camping trip this thing birdfrees, can someone cruncha punch into my box?

Defeat should have been a post album single. The idea of giving it it's own 12" record is cool but it would have been so sick for them to drop the record and have people be like what the fuck there is a 21 minute song in the middle of this

That little jam from their instagram sounds cool. Crazy to believe there are potentially jams that didn’t make these records they worked out

Love the album, Stride Rite was a real treat. I loved the blast sessions version and no idea until I heard the piano in the begining that it was on the album. Kings would be the weakest track but it's still a beautiful track. Just shows the quality of it.

That IG post actually made me a little sad that this freebirded, looks like they have a fun rollout planned.

At this point the only thing I would change sequencing wise is have Broke and Magicians swap places. Broke sounds amazing sort of riding the euphoria of the last couple minutes of Magicians, and it also just makes sense to me for Defeat to be bookended by both of the shorter Panda pop songs. Especially since Defeat starts on the same note that Broke ends on.

what are the full "dream land...." lyrics in magicians? looked around a bit online here but they don't seem quite right

Jack23 wrote:

foxtrot wrote:

Jack23 wrote:

This album is literally perfect every song is a ten. I understood some of the criticisms on first. second, and third listen but now by listen 20 I’ve fallen in love with all the choices they made on this album. The simplicity is so sweet and I think makes songs like Genies and Gem and I more psychedelic and entrancing it almost feels like a personal performance. You just get lost in the sauce and the littte harmonics laced around the songs are literally scrumptious like cake. The performance is perfect and the vocals might be the best of any record I’ve heard in a long time. So unique and so powerful. Defeat is like an onion laying out its somber story. And magicians is the climax of a career in my opinion best fucking song. This album will be my favorite for a long long long time. I can already imagine the great trips and future experiences this album will enchant and hope one day to show to my future family. I’ve been here since before skiffs just waiting to hear these songs and the wait paid off so well. These boys have outdone themselves from soul to kings. Banger after banger. Easy 10/10. I accept no criticism to this album it’s the best of this decade for sure and maybe the century. For me i will die with this album.

Any suggestions for tattoos of this album. From the cover? Lyrics? Etc

Love you guys

Ha! This one gets it. I feel the same way. Absolutely adore it. Might not go as far as album of the century though

As far as tattoos go, that’s a very personal thing. What connects with you?

I got one in June of the original spirit album cover. I just want something to represent how much I love the music.

ha you and I have the same tattoo!

I’m gonna get the center art from the defeat test pressing I got tattooed on me eventually, I just haven’t decided where yet

what are the full "dream land...." lyrics in magicians? looked around a bit online here but they don't seem quite right

There is a dream land many miles inside me
And I go there when I can
Many miles haunting me

awesome wrote:

what are the full "dream land...." lyrics in magicians? looked around a bit online here but they don't seem quite right

There is a dream land many miles inside me
And I go there when I can
Many miles haunting me

thanks, couldn't quite make out that last line cheers

the layered construction paper face with the eyes on the album cover would be a pretty good tattoo imo.

doing my second full listen. the first half flows well, i wouldn't change the first four placements at all. magicians is a bit like strung in terms of its multiple sections, big cathartic climax, and its placement in the overall journey, only it's a much better song. overall the first four tracks of iin feels more satisfying and cohesive than the first four tracks of skiffs.

defeat's placement is already starting to make a bit more sense to me on second listen. coming on the heels of magicians' exciting finale is the only way defeat's slow, solemn first section could feel earned. then you just have to adjust to the meditative pace until the song starts generating its own momentum. but they have to know this is gonna be a much-skipped track. next listen i'll try taking defeat out of the equation and see how that feels as an album.

i like defeat but it'll probably take multiple listens before i can experience it, or the album as a whole, on an emotional level without trying to make sense of the structure. the novelty of finally hearing it this way is obstructing my enjoyment to a degree. but at least the album's recording and production is pretty much all clicking right away. they did right by the songs.

it feels wild to go straight into gem still, but it's probably the best option they had. they have to immediately pick up the energy after defeat or else it's just punishing. acab has the energy but it's a single short loop with no deviation, the album needs to return to "normal song" territory. plus gem retains a hint of the defeat finale's dark, fatigued energy with the moaning background vocals and ambivalent main vocals.

do people have an issue with how the vocals are mixed on stride? it sounds real good to me. i've just never found it to be a standout song, royal was always my preferred josh ballad. this one doesn't hit me very hard. i actually preferred the 2019 "it's a waltz" version.

acab is growing on me, undeniably catchy, but they could only get away with this silliness as the penultimate track. any earlier would feel wrong. there's a low stakes energy here at the end because we've gotten through all the serious songs, so a final brief nugget of levity is appreciated.

kings also wouldn't work anywhere else imo. people are already going to be skipping defeat, don't make them skip another track. it's more like an optional epilogue. casual listeners can turn off the album after acab or stride. this album basically has 2.5 closers.

everything is making more sense after second listen. feeling more positive even though i wasn't stoned this time. this album does not have the immediate appeal of skiffs, but might have more of a lasting legacy. this batch of songs is stronger overall, especially the first half, which is much more cohesive than the latter half. the janky lopsidedness of this album will always be a defining trait that probably keeps many listeners from fully embracing it. but what an interesting object.

opposite field wrote:

memememe wrote:

indiecast was probably talking about mitski, huh

Yep, had this thought the other day.

nah, they specifically said "band"

Not that it’s particularly important but I think this weeks episode settles they weren’t talking about AC. They did a fall 2023 album draft and it didn’t make either of their lists. Color me surprised though they were rather positive in their Skiffs review.

I am finding it odd that so many people think Clubs is silly or a joke. It's fantastic.

it's a joke in the way that machine elves are jokey

being silly doesn't mean it can't be fantastic. but come on, sega genesis synths over a handclap disco beat and panda harmonizing "do doo do doo do doo" with avey singing an AAAA rhyme scheme. it sounds like a monster mash b-side. i think i love it but it's silly as hell.

Where exactly?!

I tried to transcribe it a couple of pages back:

Noah: ...he climbs out of the woods...
Unknown: the corner... tell you... (unintelligible) ...the 6th day, in the background
Unknown: ...the fall forest...
Dave: let's see what you've got bro
Josh (maybe): is this the one with the lead vocalist?
Noah: that... that means 30 seconds, alright
Josh (maybe): like you're.. i like you, talking about... functional...
Unknown: yeh, just like, just record things naturally
Dave: sylla-bul-bul-bles
Dave (maybe): hay bales
Unknown: if you imagine you're, like
Dave: join us, and have a wonderful day
Noah: I mean, 30 seconds is pretty good right?

As I said, it's suuuuuper faint in the background but I swear that's gotta be it.
https://voca.ro/1kEyFJCJf7PV

I am finding it odd that so many people think Clubs is silly or a joke. It's fantastic.

I don't think it's a haha funny joke. I feel like there's a certain level of irony to things like the bum bums on Gem being a 60's stylistic element to make it sound like a mockery of the perceived inspiration. As if they made a bluesy song and did some crazy Clapton style bends and an americana piano sort of as an stylistic choice. I 100% believe the structure of the album works well and Clubs actually sounds very important, like it's telling some deep stuff behind the groovy back drop. But it's very strange coming after a piano balad (for some people).

I feel this album nailed the structure. Soul Capturer is an exciting begining, it fills you with energy. The little intro kind of reminds me of Moonjock with the "Join us, and have a wonderful day" and "30 seconds is pretty good right" vocals. Genies building slowly with all the bells and chimes works really well after the initial rockier song, being more slippery and psychedelic in general. Broke Zodiac settles things further, and then Magicians and Defeat work as the emotional centerpiece of the album. First three songs kick things off with lots of energy, and Magicians takes you on an incredible journey that would feel less important anywhere else. Defeat takes the same approach as Magicians and completely destroys you. That first section sounds hopeful, which complements the ending of Magicians, and then lifts you with the exciting second section only to then hit you with the sad and devastating third section. Both defeat and Magicians start very slowly, so they take enough time to work where they are.

Then there's just enough, JUST ENOUGH space before Gem and I for it to gain an impact. Any sooner it'd really sound jarring. There's enough silence so it lets you process what just happened and then hits you with another taste of the last laid back track you heard before all the incredible jamming of the middle section. Stride back doesn't let things loose any momentum either. Clubs also takes enough time to not feel jarring. Hits you with a last dose of energy before the 5 minute vocal piece. I've come to appreciate what they did with kings. There's an internal logic in the structure that gives it a sense of purpose and direction.

it's hard to decipher most of the words in acab, but just from the title and "everyone's a nine to five" i think it's dealing with the inability of the oppressed to rise up against the oppressors. everyone is too busy fighting for their lives to fight the common enemy, hence "all the clubs are broken," the means of fighting back have been neutralized by keeping everyone occupied with day to day drudgery. could be wrong. curious what the rest of the lyrics are, all i can hear is "living in a world of [tribes/trials/???]"

foxtrot wrote:

Where exactly?!

I tried to transcribe it a couple of pages back:

Noah: ...he climbs out of the woods...
Unknown: the corner... tell you... (unintelligible) ...the 6th day, in the background
Unknown: ...the fall forest...
Dave: let's see what you've got bro
Josh (maybe): is this the one with the lead vocalist?
Noah: that... that means 30 seconds, alright
Josh (maybe): like you're.. i like you, talking about... functional...
Unknown: yeh, just like, just record things naturally
Dave: sylla-bul-bul-bles
Dave (maybe): hay bales
Unknown: if you imagine you're, like
Dave: join us, and have a wonderful day
Noah: I mean, 30 seconds is pretty good right?

As I said, it's suuuuuper faint in the background but I swear that's gotta be it.
https://voca.ro/1kEyFJCJf7PV

Nice! I think you might be right!

Soul Capturer was the song I was least keen on before all this and it has grown so much. Has turned into a real favourite. It’s such a great opener. I love it’s whole ‘this is a cautionary tale’ scene setting vibe.

And Genies does so much world building. It’s so immersive. I think the structure of this album is fantastic.

Hey all, still need the link over here, a pm would be sweet, it is thunderstorming out and I am so excited to hear this baby!

Love the record. Still getting to know it, natch.

All this analysis over sequencing/flow does make me wonder whether the noodly jams that separate the trax on Skiffs would have been more valuable here. But who cares. Fuck me. I'll put my opinion in one hand, and let Avey take a shit in the other... we'll see which weighs more.

Also, between Royal and now Stride, I'm just so incredibly moved by Deakin's trajectory as an artist. When you look at these two tracks through the lens of all the uncertainty, insecurity and self-doubt he experienced surrounding the making of Sleep Cycle -- and add in the (i presume humiliating) fact that he was asked to sit out PW until he worked himself through it -- you feel like you're watching a man who has come out the other side 100x the artist he was, completely self-actualized. These are not also-ran tracks sitting in the shadow of Avey's or Panda's, but totally bespoke fully realized visions. It's a very heartwarming story, Deakins. Like the movie Rudy, if Rudy was a member of the Incredible String Band.

Every AC release is a universe unto itself. Never once does the struggle driving this stuff into existence feel like a commercial one. What a gift.

yeah i've always been genuinely puzzled by people emphasizing gem over broke as *the* pop hit of the bunch. broke is just so obviously a cut above, platonic ideal latter era noah song, whereas gem is more or less as good as car keys (probably less)

1000% agree with this. It’s Car Keys, and (to me anyways) both that song and Gem are decent but ultimately unmemorable Panda tracks, whereas Broke is super lush sounding with a great melody, especially after the 60s psychedelia 1-2 punch of the opening tracks. To my ears it’s always been the most obvious single choice.

it's hard to decipher most of the words in acab, but just from the title and "everyone's a nine to five" i think it's dealing with the inability of the oppressed to rise up against the oppressors. everyone is too busy fighting for their lives to fight the common enemy, hence "all the clubs are broken," the means of fighting back have been neutralized by keeping everyone occupied with day to day drudgery. could be wrong. curious what the rest of the lyrics are, all i can hear is "living in a world of [tribes/trials/???]"

Best I can do is

Everyone’s a 9-to-5
Barely placed in time
Gone when it arrives
Minding all the drives
Mastering goodbyes

Living in a world of trials
Time’s a [wedding cloth?]
Under an open [bride?]
Mystical collide
[Least/Place???] they had never died

LIVIN' IN A WORLD OF TRIALS

Jam I hope your transcription of the first verse is correct, cause I love that.

I’m historically awful at comprehending lyrics so outlook not good but I also like it a lot. Second verse is a lot harder to make out.

yeah sounds close to me. i think i hear one extra syllable in the "mastering goodbyes" line though. almost like "[???] turning in goodbyes." second verse i'm hearing "time's a [wrinkle/rainbow/raincoat]" but it could be anything.

nights/knights turning in goodbyes??

Soul Capturer was the song I was least keen on before all this and it has grown so much. Has turned into a real favourite. It’s such a great opener. I love it’s whole ‘this is a cautionary tale’ scene setting vibe.

The album does seem to have a flare for the theatrical with “Soul Capturer” when toward the end the singer’s voice gets swallowed up by the instruments, sort of signifying that he’s been lost in the portal and the soul capturer has prevailed. Also, the ending of “Defeat” where each line becomes gradually less pronounced. I guess, with the exception of “King’s Walk” it’s a fairly pessimistic album.

That IG post actually made me a little sad that this freebirded, looks like they have a fun rollout planned..

I was considering caving in and listening to the freebird until i saw that post today. Gonna stick around for their hype-building process now. Can’t wait to listen

pox I also hear another syllable but I often hear what I think are extra syllables when Avey is singing something else — in this case it’s probably closer to what you’re thinking

I gotta say this album sounds way better on speakers than on headphones. I'm surprised at the difference.

Slippi's Applesauce wrote:

opposite field wrote:

memememe wrote:

indiecast was probably talking about mitski, huh

Yep, had this thought the other day.

nah, they specifically said "band"

Not that it’s particularly important but I think this weeks episode settles they weren’t talking about AC. They did a fall 2023 album draft and it didn’t make either of their lists. Color me surprised though they were rather positive in their Skiffs review.

Optimistic it’ll get its day in court the week the album drops, even though I haven’t 100% agreed with Hyden and cohen on anco I like hearing those guys talk about ‘em

I gotta say this album sounds way better on speakers than on headphones. I'm surprised at the difference.

Yeh I think it highlights the frequency range. The bass is so thick, the drums snap more and all the synth stuff up high rings out nice and clear. The dry vocals sounds great too. Also just works on speakers because it is clearly much more faithful to the live experience than Skiffs (or any album since SJ really).