Collected Animals

jfw7 coming in with some deeeep cuts. Makes sense

Nice to kick off with a solid amount of variety from across their career and nothing hard to track down! Will make it a gentle introduction to the game/activity.

Be great for those selected to share some thoughts on why they picked the songs they did.

Looking forward to digging into these 10 tracks!

Sweet - playlists created!

I rarely listen to stuff out of the context of the broader recording (album/EP/live show etc) that it has come from. Looking forward to taking this opportunity to zone in a bit more on what makes individual tracks shine beyond the wider context that I usually hear them sitting in.

A Sender feels like an AC cover band started making original songs, granted I would say "good for them!" in that scenario

*An An Angel pitch shifted vox kick in*

Playing the Long game would feel at home in a cursed Tik Tok: "I stopped tipping for a year, here's what I bought with the savings!"

Wanna write more about these later, but for now I will simply say that Mouth Woo'd Her is the best song on Sung Tongs

PB (Stevie Wonder)

I absolutely forgot about this recording and was pretty surprised to see that it is actually a studio recording! I thought it was just live, but then I recalled that whole thing about the Stevie Wonder manager and yeah hah... anyway. Most of the song is the purple bottle, which I don't think I need to say much about. On certain days it's my favorite AC track, and I think we all know its significance as a song in their overarching canon. But what makes this version so cool is that it is literally the same song with one significantly different section... total peak into an alternate universe which doesn't feel like a gimmick, and definitely doesn't come out of no where. Even if the backing instrumentals are identical, the way Avey sings is pretty fucking sublime and I think would be an absolutely amazing little moment of clarity in the album. Seriously so happy you added this one, it has such a different feeling than the way he sings it live too. Just so tender. Super awesome.
Mouth Wooed Her:
A deep cut classic, one that I used to not love but it's come around very hard for me since I heard it for the first time 9 years ago. Definitely think Avey's songwriting is really coming to fruition for the next era of AC, I feel like in general Sung Tongs aligns moreso with earlier Avey songwriting, but this track and Holiday point more towards the writing he'd go for in Feels, SJ and MPP. The start stop instrumentation feels like it's a continuous motif for Avey in a way, something he continued from La Rapet and Native Belle, and progressed more in tracks like Monkey Riches and Dragon Slayer. The herky jerkiness here is very pre cursor to CHz and Flicks to me in general.
I think this song is just as much a pinnacle as Friends and Holiday in terms of shining Rusty's mix, the bobbing and weaving of the vocals and instrumentations, and the clarity of the strumming is serene. Especially in that outro. One of my favorite AC outros too, up there with Turn Into Something. Can't deny that everyone loves this song probably. One of my favorites on a fall day.
A Sender:
Time for me to flex my AC Defener schills. I love this album and I adore this song as an opener. I love the evocative drifty glitchiness that Avey worked with in this era, it comes across as alien and insect, while this one is works like an old wooden roller coaster through a haunted house. Both retain similarities, but there is a playful cartooniness throughout flicks and this song that is very distinct then the usual Avey style of songwriting. I absolutely love how this song begins, the synthesizers really swell into eachother and give a distinct carnie type of feel. The pulse is one of the most distinct of any AC song, I love how Jeremy's still is sooo different than Panda's yet fits Avey's obtuseness just as well to me. Further proof of that from 16-17 live, but I also adore Angel's low end. Really reminds of me of a resurrected style of Spirit's bass synths, accompanying Avey stylistically but still retaining a flair that is non-existent in other AC works. Really cool outro too, my only gripe with the song is that I wish it was easier to sing.. but what a sacrifice that'd be? Really love the way the start stopiness and confusedness adds to the lyrics, which to me scream confusion over a relationship and denial over coming to terms with it's negative effect.
An An Angel:
Ok, I'll play a song. Pretty incredible to just hear this song and know it exists in such pristine quality. I haven't listened to it since it came out, but it's really fucking cool. I think the original song certainly feels very grimm-fairytale esque, while this song almost has an Alice in wonderland feel due to the vocal FX, pitch shifting, and sorta wild nature of the piece in general. Feels more demented, but way less tragic and human than the other one-- I can see why he adjusted it, I also think the completed version's lyrics are undeniably classic Avey poetry, with deep allusions and more of a narrative. I fucking love the airy low end box of this version during the birds part, it wouldn't fit in the original song but it works perfect here. I still think this song is phenomenal, just wouldn't fit as well on Spirit and isn't as concise as the complete version. This one is more childlike in gaze to me too, whereas the one on Spirit feels like an adult trying to find a childlike lens, a la the rest of the album. Yeah this one's scary, the other ones tragic and a little creepy but this one's kinda like having a nightmare as a child lol.
Playing the Long Game:
This track is so fucking wild to me like idk. Hes really doing a trap beat like huh? And it fucking works? I think it does just because it's like... Panda trap, just so unique to him and with his percussion expertise it works... those synths are also so fucking beautiful wow. I never noticed how much I love them damn. Still hard to face Panda with 808s and fucking hi hats and it working in a similar way to Step by Step or Passed Tense... he really is the voice of a generation huh Pete. Any fucking genre. The change up towards the end is sweet too. Can't say it's my favorite PB track but I dig it a lot. Glad to revisit and I'll throw it on a playlist soon.

I'll get to the next 5 soon. This was a lot of fun to start! Thanks so much foxtrot you're the best!!

Stevie Wonder:

I think the song is much better with the way it came out in the studio rather than the interpolation. While I do appreciate the out of the box thinking with the interpolation (and I wouldve loved to hear it live), the purple bottle feels like such a personal song that it could take away from that aspect. It’s like one big horny frantic love letter. On the other hand, to counter my own point, it could be looked at as like a way you would tell and sing songs to your crush, or making a mixtape/cd for them. But the official version flows better in my opinion.

Winter Wonderland:

Talk about an anomalous track. Avey seems to have an interesting and deep relationship with the winter season (winters love, tape player chants, bleak midwinter). To me, the lyrics read like a Snowman comforting another snowman, both of which are in the process of melting/dying. Overarching themes of the acceptance of death. It’s a really fascinating take on the concept. Being that this track has never ever been played live, it’s hard to unearth the frosty bones of the music itself. Even more intriguing that it’s an Ark era track. Musically I find it one of the less interesting tracks on SJ. I do like the bell sounds and the driving nature of the song, it could have maybe used a bridge or outro of some sort. Maybe it would have worked better in the Ark world for this reason, as that album has a much more freeform feeling that might’ve expressed the song in a more abstract way rather than molding it into the relatively structured songs on SJ

There’s an Arrow:

Not a whole lot to say about this one, but relating to the talk of winter wonderland, this track almost sounds ahead of itself in a way, the inverse of what I said about WW. There’s definitely a tease for what was to come in this track, I could totally see it coming through the feels/people era and fitting with those songs. It may be the poppiest track on hollindagain once you strip the noise and undress it to its base parts.

Mouth Wood Her:

This track really flexes the impeccable sound design and production on Sung Tongs, like wilandhugs mentioned. It’s also vocally one of the most dynamic songs on the album as well, avey and panda go through all kinds of different vocal textures weaving in and out. The lyrics on this one are so impressionistic and abstract i have a hard time making heads or tales. Best I’ve got is it’s about waking up next to your loved one after a night of sleeping in and lovin inside? would love to hear others interpretations.

Rosie Oh:

Classic panda bear introverted storytelling. This one reads to me as being a song about finding yourself, through the fears and trials in life. Or escaping from a life lived before, walking out to a journey of discovery and independence. Might be a shallow reading but that’s what i’ve got. Musically, a very off kilter one. But it does supplement that messy, soul searching side of things. It shows the silly goofy awkward side of a lonesome journey. On of the squiggliest tracks on a very squiggly album. Panda vox is reminiscent of Tomboy on this one, both in timbre and melody (That “I’m on my own” section could’ve been ripped straight from a tomboy outtake if you ask me)

edit: removed spoils, the man has spoken

I say no need to spoiler stuff people. I want to be able to scroll through and see everyone's thoughts.


MFPotus Picks:


1/5: Purple Bottle (Stevie Wonder version):

Avey’s performance of this section in the studio (rejected) version is so gentle/tender. Very different to live versions. It gives the passage a lot of intimacy - like he’s whispering in his lover’s ear. Awesome to have this version floating around and great to have this prompt to remind me to listen to it again! Ultimately though, I’m glad the interpolation didn’t get cleared for the album. Live etc. it’s great fun and adds to the world of AC’s broad influences but on the album I think it would have taken me out of the moment a little. Removed me from the syrupy psychedelic world of Feels and placed me too much in the real world. Obviously works really well with the love theme though. I love that Slothrope mentioned the mixtape thing cause that's how I've always seen it too.


2/5: Mouth Wooed Her:

This one is massively underrated! Back half of ST has so many gems that are forgotten because they have that watery ebbing and flowing feeling rather than the urgency of the first half of the record. Love that this track opens with a Josh cameo! Shows the closeness of the band members. Even when it’s a Noah/Dave project Deeks’ voice sneaks in there. The chirpy tongue buzzing stuff during the intro is class AC vocal playfulness. I absolutely love the loud “CAUSE YOU’RE SO!” etc parts. I remember hearing this shit for the first time in '04 and just being gobsmacked by the sheer bizarre and thrilling sense of the new. The electronic bits in the “I. Don’t. Want. No.” section are subtle but help give the song that uncanny electro-acoustic yet ancient feel. In the little transition moment to the end section (“at breakfast time”) I fucking love the way they make the “i” vowel sound in “time” really round and odd. Dave says “taaahhhiiime” in this super cool way and Noah’s vocals just trail away. Just a sublime little moment. The “mouth water” section at the end is absolutely blissful. The watery Panda wails, the cute claps and “better drink it up!” vox, Dave’s exaggerated delivery of “waahhhterr”, the gorgeous tone of the guitar strums and warm synth drones in the background. Absolute highlight of Sung Tongs and one of the songs that first ripped my mind a new one when I discovered this band. Lyrically, I think its a collection of little moments in the start of an intense relationship. They’re doing everything together (including a fair bit of sex) and the water thing is about trying to remember their other basic needs!


3/5: A Sender:

A Sender has always felt like a mixture between Strawberry Jam and Feels era with ‘straight’ drums. This is a good thing. Totally agree with wilandhugs that this album/era for Avey had a wonderfully carnivalesque, cartoonish halloween vibe. This song does a great job of nailing that with a little more sophistication than some of the other tracks on the album. Great opener for that reason. Love the way the synths and other sounds all build into each other at the start. Great way to draw us into the Slasher Flicks world. Jermey’s drums immediately give it a slightly different feeling to AC material. Classic Avey guitar and vocals during the verse. The way things slowly get more and more intense through the verse is really cool. The “spirit of all the world” section goes hard. Avey’s doing that great vocal melody thing where he just winds his way around this incredibly long/complex melodic line. Angel’s backing vox kick arse here too. And all the wild keys/synths especially during the second repetition.


4/5: An An Angel:

So cool that this exists. La Rapet is one of my favourites on STGSTV so this was a real treat to hear. So incredibly trippy and creepy during the “angel” bit! Agree with wilandhugs again that this has a more kaleidoscopic, dreamy Alice In Wonderland feeling compared to La Rapet. Love how strained and agitated Avey sounds at times. It definitely feels like an early version - much more loose and wild than anything that ended up on the album really. Love the sense of space in the recording. The stop and transition into the “birds are calling” sections are stunning. That low pitch shifted vocal is so haunting. Like your soul being sucked from your body. Deep, vacuous nothingness. Such an intense version of this song. Bloody loved listening again.


5/5: Playing The Long Game:

Time for a banger! Such an oddity in their catalogue. Rarely listen for that reason. The trap beat is easy to enjoy but feels oddly divorced from his vocals. The melody is classic Panda though. I think a whole EP of this stuff might help me draw together the idea of trap beats and Panda vocals a little more easily. Some of the synths sound super cool but again feel totally removed from the AC world to me. I actually have this in my playlist of all Noah’s guest features, production stuff etc. Because it doesn’t feel like a Panda Bear solo work. Fits better with Step By Step, One Step Closer etc. Will listen to it a few times this week so will be interesting to see how my thoughts evolve.

Thanks MFPotus, great way to kick this off!

woah, great write ups so far and great first five tunes! excited to dive in myself...soon

Purple Bottle (Stevie Wonder version) Not much to say about this one - it's an interesting curio but I far prefer the lyrics and cadence on the album version. Always a joy to see artists overcome restrictions like this with creativity.

An An Angel I've never been the biggest STGSTV fan (kill me) so I actually went back to refamiliarize myself with La Rapet before digging into this one. And I have to say, while the drums tend to be the strongest element of Spirit for me I really prefer this particular song without them. It feels way more ethereal, really evocative of that more dreamy sound on projects like Eucalyptus. Avey Tare's music is so often frantic so it's always a treat to have one with a bit more room to breathe. Thankfully we get both!

Playing the Long Game I go back and forth on this one but like it overall and enjoyed going back to it. I'm forever sold on the idea of Panda Bear making trap but to me this song doesn't really fully commit to being the Panda Bear trap song I'd like to hear, nor does it commit to being a traditional Panda Bear song (not the best explanation but I figure you all get what I mean.) I honestly feel like this song could have really used a rap feature, preferably from one of those Scandinavian hooligans. Or at least more adlibs!

A Sender Have always liked this song a lot but especially on this listen I'm left wishing it had like, one or two less things going on. Of course Jeremy is killing it all the way through but otherwise I feel like the second half of this song just makes too many sonic detours that I don't find all that rewarding. But god do I love that little guitar(?) lick in the background, especially when they really crank up that 4d3ed3 - it's infectious.

Mouth Wooed Her Sung Tongs was one of the last Animal Collective records that I dug into and I always tended to have it on in the background while I was doing something (mostly yardwork.) As a result of not having a tracklist or screen right on hand, everything after College existed in this primordial musical soup where I never could tell which track was which. (Full disclosure: I believed for like a decade that 'Ahh Good Country' was also a part of this bit and that I just had an incorrect version lol.)

Now, having pulled this track out of the broth, I'm enjoying it on its own. I really dig how much is going on in the background, all the little whispers and adlibs are really cool and of course the harmonies are sublime. But the star of the show here is the dynamic range - love the quiet/loud thing going on in this one, I think it really adds a really special quality to this track (although I'm finding that quality difficult to describe.)

Cheers MFPotus, great selections. Excited to dig into KidEatsKeyboard's picks as the week moves!

I wanna listen along with this shiz

Purple Bottle (Stevie Wonder version) - I'm glad the agent rejected their request. "Called to say I like you" is adorable

An An Angel - This track sounds great, I like how the guitar anchors the verses a lil more than the album version. I don't feel like this flows as well between the different parts as La Rapet, but still a fun listen. And again, sounds great, not sure how much credit to give to Deak for that

Playing the Long Game - I mean I genuinely like this song though I don't listen to trap. He kept it classy with the hi-hats. Panda can wear many hats in the electronic music realm so well. "Juking all the baggage" remains as one of my favorite panda lines.

A Sender - The driving groove is sick and the moments of clarity in the verses are nice. I feel like this track lacks focus overall though.

Mouth Wooed Her - This one's been in my top 10 forever.. Absolute quintessential mad brilliant AC songwriting. Really noticed the vocal panning this time around, exquisite. I love the really round tom drum in this song too that hits when it wants to. And is this the only song with a synth on Sung Tongs (the drone in the outro)? Prob not...unless

is that a sample of Deakin speaking at the beginning of "Mouth Wooed Her" saying "I started playing the game, in like, the game" ? Really sounds like him


edit -- folks on YouTube also seem to think so

Yes it is! I mentioned this in my little write up!


Also, great to have you with us nothingmastered!

gonna smoke a j and tuck into these in the next few hours. keen as and keen to read all thoughts above and below.
foxtrot like you I almost never take songs out of their album/ep/etc so this will indeed be very interesting

roopn and I both have Jungle Heat in ours

we could listen to it twice though!

sorry! I thought I cross checked everything... can replace mine with hey friend if we both get picked

Rosie Oh was probably the first song I liked from this band that wasn’t on MPP. Lovely tune. Love the way it kinda has two grooves that lock in and out of place with each other during the first part. False ending also is very cathartic, and then little jam outro is sweet

20. MFpotus

Purple Bottle (Stevie Wonder version)

Reminds me of how much I loved how Dave used to sing, more feverish, bursting with emotion, almost timid and vulnerable but also cathartic and energetic. It's what first pulled me into Animal Collective and particularly to Feels. I much prefer the original bridge which is replaced there with the Stevie lyrics and melody.

Mouth Wooed Her

I love the rolling rubato cadence to this with the sharp staccato punctuation. Again, this is prime Golden Age, they've got so many ideas and emotions that they want to cram into the song and performance and vocal delivery and instrumental, not just studio noises. The claps and backing vocals in the 'mouth water' section are so wonderful, feels like an oasis of stillness, reminds me of the coast on a very quiet evening.

A Sender

Genuinely exciting hearing this for the first time, gave me the old AC feels like nothing since SJ, a real thumper, great vocal delivery even if that effect became overused in time. I love that its doesn't really go anywhere structurally besides moving up through the gears, same energy but more and more of it. Slasher Flicks doesn't really appeal to me as a whole but this was the highlight. It feels like this was what he wanted to do with CHz before it became a little confused.

An An Angel

Fascinating listen but mainly to reinforce that studio choices and changes to chords, tempo and melodies are an incredibly fine balance. You can have something like this - a rough diamond, to be generous - which is transformed into something quite magnificent by identifying the best parts of the song and honing them carefully. These days, I feel that La Rapet would be the version they play live for a couple of years and this would be how it turns out on the album.

Playing The Long Game

I like the beat and production, the vocal melody/delivery sounds quite cheesy, kind of dad trap but he just about pulls it off. I don't think it's a very strong melody, but it all sounds rather nice. I genuinely think it'd be better with a rap vocal and Noah's sampled voice as a hook. I applaud him for just trying something different and putting it out. Him running at the end of the video is funny, not sure what the song is about.

MFpotus

Stevie Wonder:
As others have mentioned, I agree the final version of this song ultimately serves the song best. but the stevie wonder bit is every bit as true to the song's emotional arc. believe it or not the first time I heard this I didn't know the stevie wonder song, so I was like, "huh, I wonder why its called that".
All that aside, it's genuinely been ages since I've sat and listened intently to feels, so this was really fun just for that. All the layers of backing vocals really blew me away during the "I just called" section, and that section goes for so long! really impressive. I think I'm always surprised by how much this song repeats sections- but it maintains max thrill the whole way through, really amazing. the end of the vinyl rip I'm listening to gets really crunchy because the song is so long for a 7". but the way that sort of pushed all the sounds together made realise that person pitch is actually mixed a lot like feels.
finally I have to mention the PIANO on purple bottle, all of feels really. I mean feels is an amazing record for many reasons but kria and that piano do some heavy fucking lifting. hearing this again I can't help but think of that oft-quoted interview with kria where she explained the 'crystal palace' goal the guys had in mind for the mix. for me, out of anything in the ac discog, feels could benefit the most from a remaster - spirit included.

Mouth Wooed Her:
Not much to add without reiterating what's been said. foxtrot I think your read on the lyrics is spot on, and weirdly feels important bring up sex? Like, many moments on sung tongs (and beyond) are pretty overtly about sex but it's not often mentioned as an element of their songwriting. but it makes so much sense looking at sung tongs as an intensely experiential, tactile album. combine the push-pulling tempo, dave and noah's ecstatic vocals, the slinky guitars and the slippy drippy percussion/extra sounds, this song is brimming with curiosity and blissful romance. that's sex!
amazing song and now I'm listening to 2018's atlanta sung tongs show so I am gooooood.

A sender:
sorry to say I've never really loved this one. biggest gripe is the lack of air in the mix and this is highlighted egregiously by the intro with the bass synth filter sweep thing. I know this doesn't bother everyone but for me it just sets up the whole album on the wrong foot. The slasher flicks songs are really good when you dig in there, particularly avey's melodies and vocals are strong but it feels like you've gotta lift a knot of vines out of the way and peer into a burrow to see them.

An An Angel:
Yes as a fan of this band this is amazing to have and very fascinating... but I really just don't connect with this one. The vocals are way too much for me, and the sections aren't as tight as the final version so I really feel the song's length. But it's a demo. There's not much point in criticising it, the song already got better.
It IS crazy to hear Avey at such a young age. Maybe that's what I find offputting: it's so raw and young and unfiltered.

Playing the Long Game:
Pretty sweet jam! I can't say for sure but I'm pretty confident this is mostly a Rusty Santos production, as it is sonically on a planet completely outside of the AC universe. Rusty Santos is good at what he does though and this track sounds damn good. I'm glad it was paired here with Mouth Wooed Her - Rusty's touch is audible to me across both, despite completely disparate styles. PTLG is such a simple composition comparatively but the detail is there.
Noah's lyrics are really fun, I never really looked into them before. I always hear "noggin", does he really say that? very goofy moment for such a 'straight' song. Vocal performance is good but is begging for some more melodic interest. Maybe his weakest melody but the chords changes are hardly his wheelhouse.

Been on the forum since the Centipede Hz rollout in 2012. While I didn't pick any serious deep cuts, I picked songs that I wanted to bring some attention to here. Nice surprise to wake up to your writeups this morning.

The Purple Bottle (Stevie Wonder version) may not be my preferred version of Purple Bottle, but it is my preferred version of I Just Called To Say I Love You. That's the one I sing to my partner at least.

I originally wanted to pick Good Lovin Outside off of Sung Tongs, but KidsEatKeyboards already took it! As others have noted, the last 3 tracks on Sung Tongs kind of blend together after all of the whiplash variety of the preceding tracks. But there is a lot of variety when you take these tracks one by one. Mouth Water has so much going on and I wanted to give people the chance to listen to it in isolation.

A Sender was my favorite track off of Slasher Flicks. This track either wasn't played live prior to the album, or it didn't register to me as a highlight in the boots. But when I first heard (on a ski trip, Ascending up the mountain believe it or not) it blew my mind. One of my favorite Avey openers.

One of the best parts of being a fan of this band are the live variations of different songs. Pretty much every tour they introduce a new version of a classic, and I've always wished they would release studio versions of these variations. From that lens, An An Angel is such a gift. It's allowed me to listen to La Rapet with fresh ears and it gives a totally different feel to the song. The instrumental sounds woozier than the original. Avey kind of sounds like he's trapped in Wonderland. It's one of their creepiest songs.

A common gripe with Jabberwocky was how it didn't have a 'drop' like in the live version, maybe because it felt too gimmicky to Noah? But with playing the long game we have a song with a full on trap beat. I love that Noah let loose and let himself release a song that heavily references the popular sounds of the time. Wouldn't mind if he did this more.

Cool picks here, enjoying reading everyone's thoughts. Gonna put each 5 here into their own playlist and listen over the weekend.

wow Playing the Long game's lyrics are actually insane. Pasting here for anyone curious. Reads really freaky and dark and personal to me. so much strong imagery. last part echoes forward to lyrics in broke zodiac, I think? interesting thread between the two

loving in particular the write-ups for Mouth Wooed Her! Woah, some incredible commentary for that one.

----

Short blurbs from me.

MFpotus

Mouth Wooed Her:

Deakin’s blessing, schizophrenic acoustic guitar, an idea walking like a spider across your brain, blazing psychedelic sun, herky jerky vocals, in between a daydream and the want for feverish exploration, a random rattle shake, my childhood encapsulated in a breath, absolute free form, these kids are parched. Will AC ever sound this “loose” again? 9

Purple Bottle Stevie:

A romantic’s silver gallop into a crystal palace dreamland. Ecstatic crush. Uncontainable emotion. Naivite. Panda leaving no second unfilled with cricks, cracks, pounds, ticks, tacks, sloppy wacks, rim shots. One of the tracks where Kria certainly wished her piano parts were mixed louder. Avey’s childlike ecstasy punctuated by the accentuated rhythms. Perfect guitars. Would love to hear them jam this song for another 10-20 minutes. Peak AC. Stevie version inferior, but a curio that leads to the construction of the master version. 10 (Feels version)

An An Angel:

Teenage fantasy, starlight twinkle, raw electricity, early AC frequencies, slightly grating melody. Demented Disney. Feels hollow without bass/drums, something to ground the transcendent black hole nature of Avey trapped in space. Might be the point. 6

A Sender:

A burbling engine, frayed red wires, shimmering blood, skeleton guitar, infrared search lights, haunted house smoke machine, Halloween Hz, hypnosis, the walking dead marching to the beat. 7

Playing the Long Game:

A head bop. A double take. What’s…this? I always wanted to hear Panda go in hard over some high hats. Swagger club track. Hits its peak in live form. 7



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Edit: One more thing.

Getting a quick cross section of AC over the years just reiterates to me how full-blown emotional, sensory, visceral their lyrics were. Very sensuous and raw. 2000s AC is handing you really raw, wet, tactile emotion on a song stick. They'll always be a very imagery and sensory based band, but maybe what's different from 2000s AC from after that is they didn't explore using their mouths in weird ways as much? Like, I can tell on "Mouth Wooed Her" how many different ways they're trying to contort their mouths to say certain words, and it adds to the vitality of the words and senses they're describing. Of course, this is pretty natural development... in your 20s it's very much an Exploration Phase, while 30s and 40s is about going deeper, maybe reflecting more, less concerned about exploring and maybe more about expressing a singular feeling/experience you're processing? Raw thoughts, very half baked.

If just seems like CHz and PW they sang all their songs in the same way. CHz was Avey anguished and screaming. There was not a lot of tonality or variety to his singing style. PW was just straight sugar rush hocketing the whole time. TS is maybe exemplified by them trying really hard to be clear, tidy and direct in their singing. When I think of TS, I think of the word Pristine.

2000s AC was just so manic and wild and fresh. I miss that, for sure, but I understand how hard it is to stay there, or maybe you're not supposed to stay there? Again, half baked thoughts. Just gotta say I appreciate how often they changed the WAY they sung to get the most out of the lyrics they wrote.

Purple Bottle (Stevie Wonder version): I do not really enjoy this version. Like the original Stevie Wonder song is great, but the final bridge here fits the song so much better and I really prefer the lyrics there. Plus the stevie wonder bridge recording/performance just sounds bad imo. love the feels version though ofc

Mouth Wooed Her: an essential part of sung tongs. not much to say about it that hasn't already been said.

A Sender: i really love this song. fun and kooky like all good slasher flicks tracks. the outro hits hard. i remember we were all complaining about the effects on avey's voice but looking back from 2023, i miss his louder/screamier singing with all of these weird flangers etc. sometimes.

An An Angel: it's cool to hear but I much prefer the album version

Playing The Long Game: very much into this song too. production sounds great and so does panda. the only thing I don't like is the drop out and fade back in after "juking all the baggage". like that synth part there was the hardest part live and the drop doesn't even sound good to me but whatever. and yeah lyrics are mad crazy. also that "yuh" or "yeh" haha

loving in particular the write-ups for Mouth Wooed Her! Woah, some incredible commentary for that one.

----

Short blurbs from me.

MFpotus

Mouth Wooed Her:

Deakin’s blessing, schizophrenic acoustic guitar, an idea walking like a spider across your brain, blazing psychedelic sun, herky jerky vocals, in between a daydream and the want for feverish exploration, a random rattle shake, my childhood encapsulated in a breath, absolute free form, these kids are parched. Will AC ever sound this “loose” again? 9

Purple Bottle Stevie:

A romantic’s silver gallop into a crystal palace dreamland. Ecstatic crush. Uncontainable emotion. Naivite. Panda leaving no second unfilled with cricks, cracks, pounds, ticks, tacks, sloppy wacks, rim shots. One of the tracks where Kria certainly wished her piano parts were mixed louder. Avey’s childlike ecstasy punctuated by the accentuated rhythms. Perfect guitars. Would love to hear them jam this song for another 10-20 minutes. Peak AC. Stevie version inferior, but a curio that leads to the construction of the master version. 10 (Feels version)

An An Angel:

Teenage fantasy, starlight twinkle, raw electricity, early AC frequencies, slightly grating melody. Demented Disney. Feels hollow without bass/drums, something to ground the transcendent black hole nature of Avey trapped in space. Might be the point. 6

A Sender:

A burbling engine, frayed red wires, shimmering blood, skeleton guitar, infrared search lights, haunted house smoke machine, Halloween Hz, hypnosis, the walking dead marching to the beat. 7

Playing the Long Game:

A head bop. A double take. What’s…this? I always wanted to hear Panda go in hard over some high hats. Swagger club track. Hits its peak in live form. 7



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Edit: One more thing.

Getting a quick cross section of AC over the years just reiterates to me how full-blown emotional, sensory, visceral their lyrics were. Very sensuous and raw. 2000s AC is handing you really raw, wet, tactile emotion on a song stick. They'll always be a very imagery and sensory based band, but maybe what's different from 2000s AC from after that is they didn't explore using their mouths in weird ways as much? Like, I can tell on "Mouth Wooed Her" how many different ways they're trying to contort their mouths to say certain words, and it adds to the vitality of the words and senses they're describing. Of course, this is pretty natural development... in your 20s it's very much an Exploration Phase, while 30s and 40s is about going deeper, maybe reflecting more, less concerned about exploring and maybe more about expressing a singular feeling/experience you're processing? Raw thoughts, very half baked.

If just seems like CHz and PW they sang all their songs in the same way. CHz was Avey anguished and screaming. There was not a lot of tonality or variety to his singing style. PW was just straight sugar rush hocketing the whole time. TS is maybe exemplified by them trying really hard to be clear, tidy and direct in their singing. When I think of TS, I think of the word Pristine.

2000s AC was just so manic and wild and fresh. I miss that, for sure, but I understand how hard it is to stay there, or maybe you're not supposed to stay there? Again, half baked thoughts. Just gotta say I appreciate how often they changed the WAY they sung to get the most out of the lyrics they wrote.

I feel it's a combination of Avey getting more comfortable with his actual voice and finding what he really likes to sing, and also leaning into more open and confessional type lyrics rather than really imagery/sensory based. Definitely a maturity and confidence thing IMO, I still think he'll go out there, like live Neurons, but in studio it definitely seems like he knows what he wants now and doesn't need to experiment to find those expressions. When they do those sort of experimental vocal effects from time to time now, it's nice, but it feels way more like a callback then something he's doing for the sake of progression. I fucking love how he did Neurons when I saw him but I can't see it being the type of thing he'd do in studio, maybe unless it was for one section for a certain purpose i.e. auto tune on Cherokee. I think the presentation of the art as a completed work is something they focus on more, rather than trusting the process and sticking things around. Definitely seems like the natural progression of an artist to me.

Ok MFPotus picks:

Purple Bottle (Stevie Wonder version): The Feels version may be better but I've always liked this one. something I've always appreciated is how open AC is with their influences and music they like. I've found so many good things through these guys and am always surprised at what they're into. I feel like most people would never make the AC/Stevie Wonder connection on their own, myself included. I revisited this last year which lead me on a Stevie Wonder dive to try to hear what drew Dave to him and it was a lot of fun, mostly because Stevie is amazing.

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. Lots of good stuff said already. I never really paid too much attention to how much of studio track this seems to be, probably overlooked in general for me on Sung Tongs since I think of it as an acoustic record but there is a lot of great sound design stuff happening.

A Sender: It's cool. Always like Slasher Flicks tracks on their own more than listening through the full album. Wish I got to see this band.

An An Angel: Definitely a demo, not much to say here.

Playing The Long Game: I love this song. It's so funny to me that he made a trap song just to do it and never again. Loved hearing it during the Buoys tour. Makes me wonder what other experiments like this he has laying around.

MFPotus:

Purple Bottle: Not much to say about this that hasn't been said before. Still stands as the greatest love song ever written probably. I guess if I had to pick between the two I like the studio more, I guess it just feels slightly more tender.

Mouth Wooed Her: Definitely one of my favorite AC songs, haven't listened to it outside the album in awhile and it feels so much different out of context. That weird tom and the saw noise are just so fucking cool. Some of their best vocals ever as well.

A Sender: I had a fun time with this one but I feel like the end leaves me wanting something more. Think i just need to spend some more time with it

An An Angel: La Rapet was probably the first song on spirit that really stood out to me, think it’s got some of Avey’s best vocals. Think the demo version sounds good but the coolest part is listening to it and knowing that between then and the final version that song would go from a really great song to a perfect song.


Long Game: I'm all for this conceptually just cause panda bear on a trap beat is so wild, i remember hearing this for the first time and being slightly taken aback. It's a pretty good song but I just wish it stood out to me more. Like it's not a bad song by any means but it does feel pretty lackluster, especially for panda. we need panda on a drill beat next

KidsEatKeyboards:

There’s An Arrow:

Between the oscillating high-pitched keys that almost trick you into thinking you’re getting a sweet song, and the friendly, familiar sound reminiscent of a train chugging away, we’ve got a great dynamic going on here at the start. Add Avey’s vocals, Godzilla flipping through his giant deck of cards, and an annoying morning songbird whining loudly from a tree, then finally the manic pounding of a floor tom and we’ve got ourselves a parade of sounds coming at us from every direction. Up, down, left, right. Which way do we go from here? There’s an arrow. Abstract, quintessential early AC. 8

Good Lovin’ Outside:

One of the most iconic first two lines in AC’s discography. This has one of those frequently used hypnotic strumming patterns that we’ve heard them use a lot – especially in Campfire Songs and Sung Tongs. Great use of samples. Foxtrot is bang on about these last few tracks getting less attention than the more immediate poppier tracks in the first half of the album, and it took me several years until I appreciated the back half… once I did though, basically confirmed to me this is the greatest album of all time. As it stands, this is a good addition to the album, it features all the ingredients we’d come to know over the duration of the album, though it’s not a particular stand out for me. 7.5

Winter Wonderland:

Really weird to hear this one outside of its context on SJ. Not sure I’ve ever heard it in isolation before. Honestly, benefits a lot more when listened to in context of the album. It’s a fun pop track, but on its own feels a bit inessential. However, it’s absolutely important in the function it serves on the album. Just one of those tracks that is heightened by the songs surrounding it, and in turn accentuates the album as well. 6.5

Rosie Oh:

Squiggly and slight little tune with a nice, jaunty Panda melody. Another track that comes at the perfect time within the album, but on its own doesn’t really hit super hard. Was never a fan of the bridge on this song. Breakdown at the end is cool. Johnny Walker! 6

When You Left Me:

I’ve had my best listens to Eucalyptus this year. It’s quite an immersive album, and once I committed to the journey I found it to be a really strong collection of tracks with a surprising amount of depth and layers. But I will admit I don’t really go to AC to hear sparse singer-songwriter guitar + voice tracks like this one, and again on its own this one isn’t hitting super hard. 5

IOXDS
Swallow at the Hollow 2:02–3:55
Eyes on Eyes @ The Mothlight
Soft Serve Rip Tide
2Friends @ Secret Project Robot

I can tell you've been hacked bc there isn't a single 2004 Feels song and it's called Soft Serve Rip Curl

haha thanks for calling me out there. maybe there's a secret 2004 version that solves things on both counts

i'm glad that half my posts over the past few weeks have been getting the titles of my favorite panda bear songs wrong. some real Grothendieck's Prime shit

Really hope we get to rate Whaddit I done as well as the other 2 of the end of ST. I used to loathe that song and now I can't believe there's this animal collective song I put off for so long that's so fucking beautiful and is as good as everything else on sung Tongs. woops not to spoil it just got me in the mood... one of Avey's best melodies honestly but I'll save myself...

Ok, There's an Arrow:
This is the one there's that crappy camcorder of, right? Fuck I used to watch that vid with my friend a lot it's so incredible... and to know this is literally that. I love this track. I fuckin love Hollindagain. I grew up as a little kid who was afraid of everything and idk this song just represents the overwhelming confusion of being like 4 years old and afraid and the gloomy feeling I didn't understand. I love this one. I think Hollin is the Pinnacle if their first 3 albums expressively in that childhood sense, Spirit is way more conventional and reflective... this track is just pure beautiful nightmare. So basically it's just a significant piece of their DNA, taking the best bits of Danse and showing them in the glory and care and expression they truly need. Might be my fave of Hollin but it's hard to pick with Pride and Fight and I See You Pan too...
Good Loving Outside:

Gooooood. Loving Out. Siiiiiiiiiiiiide.
The fact that sung Tongs is such an experimental, expressive, beautiful masterpiece only highlights why a listener gets fatigued near the end... it sends you on full fire and to take in these beasts after slurping up Visiting Friends and Tigers is a lot to ask I think... but once again this song is fucking wonderful as the rest. 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.

Winter Wonderland:
I've been coming back to this track quite a bit recently, so I was super happy to see this on the list so I can share some recent thoughts. But-- I can really hear this one as an Ark song! Maybe not in the vocals, and the production of course, and the synths... but the guitars and drums are straight out of Native Belle and Hey Light just toned to SJ. I can really hear this song manically ripping through the wilderness in that tone. Also feel like the lyrics of this one are the least morbid on the whole album, kinda interesting to me because I'd imagine the original was just Avey screaming about dying and happiness the way he does at the end but all hey light yelpy and ya know actual screaming... Perfect song to move into Cuckoo. Christ I love their dichotomy. Also one of my favorites to sing.

Rosie Oh:
Never got the attachment to the originals, and I don't check out the CHz boots all too much sans 9:30 so... I love this song the way it is and always have! Guitar tones are pinnacle. But my favorite aspect is the off kilter singing during the verses and the line up of the chorus. Like trekking through a desert and reaching an oasis during the chorus. I do think some of the background noises could be a bit more varied. I really like the sorta light bell sound though, and the rhythm on this one is just crazy. I love the uhh bongo? or whatever and the way it lends to the crescendos. I honestly feel like this song would sound fucking ridiculous Buoys style... kinda feel it's a precursor to Buoys with how dynamic it is. Besides desert, also feels like playing Mario kart randomizer if that makes sense to anyone lol... Johnny Walker

When You Left Me:

I always forget about this track, I think Euc can sometimes get that some aspect of ST where you phase out near the end.. so I'm really happy to hear this one on its own like I did with Choral Lords. It's so fucking pretty. Background vocals work perfect. But the intimacy of the recording of Eucalyptus shines through on this one just as well as Jackson Five. Damn I can't believe I never clicked with this song til now... writing this as it's hitting me. Thanks for sharing a lot. The way you can hear the FX almost turning on and off is so... amazing. This song is just the definition of intimacy, like Avey is fucking playing in your room and it's filled up with warm water and lilypads and frogs start croaking. Euc is really expressive in a mature sense, but it's similar still to Feels and ST in that sense, just evolved. Really gotta revisit Euc in full with a newfound appreciation for it's ending.

This week’s selections had two of my least favorite anco songs ever, An An Angel and Rosie Oh, so good to get those out of the way quickly hahah. PTLG still slaps, winter wonderland is an absolute classic, When You Left Me is heartbreaking, the sung tongs deep cut choices are both amazing. And what more can be said about Stevie Wonder Purple Bottle? Great first week

this song just represents the overwhelming confusion of being like 4 years old and afraid and the gloomy feeling I didn't understand. I love this one. I think Hollin is the Pinnacle if their first 3 albums expressively in that childhood sense, Spirit is way more conventional and reflective... this track is just pure beautiful nightmare.

so perfect. I've been trying to think of a way to describe TAA's feeling. It's like...tedious anxiety?

When You Left Me:

I always forget about this track, I think Euc can sometimes get that some aspect of ST where you phase out near the end.. so I'm really happy to hear this one on its own like I did with Choral Lords. It's so fucking pretty. Background vocals work perfect. But the intimacy of the recording of Eucalyptus shines through on this one just as well as Jackson Five. Damn I can't believe I never clicked with this song til now... writing this as it's hitting me. Thanks for sharing a lot. The way you can hear the FX almost turning on and off is so... amazing. This song is just the definition of intimacy, like Avey is fucking playing in your room and it's filled up with warm water and lilypads and frogs start croaking. Euc is really expressive in a mature sense, but it's similar still to Feels and ST in that sense, just evolved. Really gotta revisit Euc in full with a newfound appreciation for it's ending.

On mobile so won’t be able to reflect on everything here but i wanted to say that this is exactly what I was hoping might happen as a result of this activity. Awesome stuff.

I’m bloody loving reading through everyone’s write ups and reflections. Brilliant stuff all round.

wilandhugs wrote:

When You Left Me:

I always forget about this track, I think Euc can sometimes get that some aspect of ST where you phase out near the end.. so I'm really happy to hear this one on its own like I did with Choral Lords. It's so fucking pretty. Background vocals work perfect. But the intimacy of the recording of Eucalyptus shines through on this one just as well as Jackson Five. Damn I can't believe I never clicked with this song til now... writing this as it's hitting me. Thanks for sharing a lot. The way you can hear the FX almost turning on and off is so... amazing. This song is just the definition of intimacy, like Avey is fucking playing in your room and it's filled up with warm water and lilypads and frogs start croaking. Euc is really expressive in a mature sense, but it's similar still to Feels and ST in that sense, just evolved. Really gotta revisit Euc in full with a newfound appreciation for it's ending.

On mobile so won’t be able to reflect on everything here but i wanted to say that this is exactly what I was hoping might happen as a result of this activity. Awesome stuff.

I’m bloody loving reading through everyone’s write ups and reflections. Brilliant stuff all round.

Same. I've been refreshing this page just as much as IIN haha. I love hearing everyone's interpretations and styles and how their opinions come through all that. We have some great writers here

2nd Half

A Sender:

Love the feels esque guitar in the back, and the vroom drum beat. Angels vocals on this one coke off like a synth pad. The production on this album still kills me, like if CHz was claustrophobic then slasher flicks is buried 6 feet underground. Sounds scratching at the coffin. Funny enough I do think this is some of the most Avey solo has sounded like AC proper in terms of songwriting. This song really sounds like it could have been on CHz with a few more stray squiggles.

Playing the long game:

This one is odd. I definitely didn’t like it at first but it has grown and I throw it on in the car every so often. It’s got a lot of swag. If I read the lyrics in isolation I think I could figure out they were panda bear lyrics. It’s got many panda-isms: “Juking all the baggage”, “Im tickled with a gobble”. Words that just flow like crazy. I want to hear panda bear rap.

Good Lovin Outside:

Might be my least favorite tong, but I don’t dislike it. I think it works better in a full album listen, it feels very strange on its own. Avey has a way with words when it comes to love songs. Extremely sensual/tactile language.

An An Angel:

I like the pixie angel voices. Studio is superior but, I do wonder what the rest of spirit would sound like with this production style. Creepy ghost moans and groans in the “please don’t follow” part are awesome, would be cool if that was in the original. Spirit ain’t the same without the perfect percussion

When You Left Me:

Never connected strongly with Eucalyptus. I can see the beauty in this song but I can’t hear it. Having paid attention to the lyrics for the first time this listen, it’s very sweet. A song about coming to age (what was its name?)

KidEatsKeyboard’s Picks:


1/5: There's An Arrow:

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.

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.