Collected Animals

For all Avey and Panda's quite distinct vocal personalities, does anybody sometimes find it difficult to differentiate between the two on recordings? Everyone talks about how they complement each other, but I've noticed that I often find myself wondering who's singing what. Like if you look on Youtube for the video of "Working", there's a few people talking about how it's such a nice Noah track. Then there's something like Leaf House - on album version, it sounds as though the very first "Ahh-ah" is Panda, but on live versions it's clearly Avey who's doing this. The opposite is true of the WWIWS; the vocals in the intro definitely sound more like Panda, even though live versions its Avey (although I think it is Avey in the recorded one as well)

Personally speaking, I find this one of the genuine comparison points between AnCo and the Beatles - there are so many Beatles songs that, despite John, Paul and George having definite distinct styles, often they'd bounce off each other and almost mimic their bandmate's vocal stylings.

Even listening to Eucalyptus, there are moments that sound like Deakin on backing vox...or in Melody Unfair there are those backing, almost choir-like lulls that sound like something out of Young Prayer.

Here's another case in point: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zfce_bNClbo Song at 3.50 - who the hell is that? Delivery sounds like Avey, but the timbre more like Panda, but then could also be Deeks.

One of the great things I love about this and. Anyone else get this? If so, do you have any favourite moments like this?

I had so much fun with this back when I got into AC. Listened so much now that the mystery is mostly gone, but it's so exciting to figure out the different voices!
the clip you linked of TTG is almost certainly deakin, though the harmonies may be sung by one of the other two

I had so much fun with this back when I got into AC. Listened so much now that the mystery is mostly gone, but it's so exciting to figure out the different voices!
the clip you linked of TTG is almost certainly deakin, though the harmonies may be sung by one of the other two

See, having listened to it again, I'm convinced it's Avey, but interesting you think it's obv Deakin.

deakin is much breathier in the upper register, where avey is kinda squeaky or even a shrieker, depending on how much volume he's pushing
that's how I hear it

actually, now I've thought about it more, that might be too black/white to be true.

Are you deaf?

Are you deaf?

Give the guy a break. ACs music is so dense and deceptive, I'm sure a lot of people have this feeling early on. I remember at first I didn't even realize there were human voices on their tracks.

i remember thinking every song on MPP was sung by one dude named panda bear

I feel like the classic example of this is how Avey sounds so much like Panda when he signs "when the sun goes down we'll go out again". I def think it's Avey, but I don't blame anyone for thinking it's Panda. Avey sounds so diff when he sings that part live, though all of their vocals in general take on a different energy in the live setting

I also love that people mistake their voices for each other sometimes because it fits perfectly with their music as a whole. There's all these obscured and garbled voices/samples in a lot of their tracks (stuff like the intro of Rev Green) so it feels appropriate that you might not be able to distinguish whose voice it is or make out the lyrics perfectly. I remember recently someone pointed out how at the very end of Visiting Friends after all the other sounds fade out, it sounds like he's saying "I treasure you". I've heard that song so many times and never even realized he's saying that. (idk if he's actually saying that but it def sounds like it to me)

I also remember that it took me a super long time before I heard the voice on Whaddit I Done that's going "dun dun dun dun..." along with the guitar strums

Are you deaf?

Was this directed to me? If so, go right ahead and fuck yourself. I'm not some "unseasoned" AC listener who joined the forum to say "hey guys, i really love "my girls" and wondering what songs Panda Bear sings on". It was a legitimate observation that, despite the fact the guys have such obvious, hallmark vocal characteristics, there are moments and songs when those lines become blurred. when I listened to Down There for the first time, there were vocal tics/stylings/even backing melodies that I had naturally assumed through AC were characteristics of Panda. the same is true for Eucalyptus (as I said, Melody Unfair's backing vox put me in mind of some of the YP stuff). and the same is true again for Panda's solo stuff having some Avey-isms. Yes, they complement each other massively, but I find it interesting that they're clearly influenced by each other enough as musicians that they sometimes "borrow" elements of their songwriting and vocals.

Principally, I find it interesting that somebody could hear a song like "Working" and think it sounds like Noah. Or that song I mentioned in TTG, the fact that there's even any grey area between who's singing what (Deakin or Avey) kind of validates my point. That's why I mentioned the Beatles thing. There are a fair few Beatles songs when little moments it's almost impossible to tell who was responsible for the recording.

Also, and I forgot to mention this last time round, but didn't the boys say that, on PW, they each wrote the backing melodies for their own songs for the other member to sing? So Panda's hocketing thing is pretty obvious, but something like Burglars or On Delay I find really interesting.

If quoted comment wasn't intended for me, then the above still stands, but imagine it being said with much less hostility.

Stanshant is always looking for attention. I've learned to ignore him. Don't take it personally

no. not at all.

Like if you look on Youtube for the video of "Working", there's a few people talking about how it's such a nice Noah track.

Mouth Wooed Her is a pretty good song to test yourself with I reckon

listen with headphones



Deakin's speaking voice right at the start

0:32 Avey's voice is in your left ear and Panda's is in your right, then at 0:35 both voices are panned to the opposite channel with Avey's voice going down in pitch and Panda's voice going up.

0:37 Avey's voice in your right ear leads, and Panda repeats the line in your left ear with a delay

the pattern repeats at 0:42 with channels switched (Avey in right ear, Panda in left, switching sides again at 0:45) except there's some kind of automatic double tracking at 0:47 with Avey's voice in both channels

0:49 Avey's voice in left ear, Panda's voice in right. they alternate singing the high and low octaves but their voices stay in the same stereo position until 1:11

also Winter's Love is interesting

the lyrics are split completely evenly between Avey and Panda. Avey sings the first set of lyrics and Panda sings the second half. and when they aren't singing lyrics they sing wordlessly in harmony with the other singer.

BUT, when they are both singing wordlessly at 2:33 they are actually singing the different melody. they swap vocal melodies once the lyrics begin at 3:12 and the lead vocals (Avey, then Panda from 3:53) get double tracked in the right ear

in other words, at 2:33 Avey is singing the middle part, and Panda is singing the low part then the high part. At 3:12 Panda sings the middle part instead and Avey sings the lyrics with the low and high melodies





I wouldn't have guessed that they switched melodies if I hadn't seen videos of live performances of it

sorry if this is all shitty and pointless, or just confusingly worded

Nah hash that's really good! Reminding me why I love sung tongs so much

Yeah the production is so fucking good

I'm a sucker for being able to position sounds in the stereo field, The Beatles probably have a lot to do with that. The mixing of Merriweather is a lot harder on my ears because of the way a lot of the sounds seem to be coming from everywhere at once and it's too mushed for me

And something like Feels is a bit too thin and whispy sounding sometimes, in comparison

By the way that TTG song is definitely Deakin. Not just because of how it sounds but he has played that song live as "Guggenheim Jam" in some of his solo sets.

hope that song gets a release some day, but it's probably too old at this point

Stanshant is always looking for attention. I've learned to ignore him. Don't take it personally

Mate. That's cold. And all because you don't have any unofficial Avey Tare sneakers.


It's an interesting thread. I was a bit too tired to engage properly last night, so apologies for my lazy contribution. As Hash pointed out, Sung Tongs is the one where I get this the most. They both play with their delivery so much, going from seagull squawks to sotto voce and they both have a similar croon in the lower registers. I love the live Sung Tongs stuff especially for that stuff, their range and versatility is so wild, they seem to be switching things up constantly to let out that feverish energy.

hahaha STANSHANT IS IN SHAMBLES!!!

but not trying to be a dick at all but if u havent heard listened to ac's albums a good amount of times there is a good chance that there is no real idea of what indiviual parts are going on and wat hooks one is how good it sounds as a cohesive piece. when i first started i couldnt tell them apart either and im pretty sure this is why ppl who get paid to review music avoid talking about the music with ac asode from the words "playful" and "childlike". they r a rewarding band!!!

hope that song gets a release some day, but it's probably too old at this point

It got released in 2011

Other example is on the opening to 'goalkeeper'. Always assumed it was Panda but now im thinking it sounds more like avey doing a Panda impression. I remember seeing a live version of Slippi and being surprised that the end refrain was avey singing in the melody.

I'll find the interview but Aveys said they deliberately tried to sound the same on Sung Tongs.

roopn wrote:

hope that song gets a release some day, but it's probably too old at this point

It got released in 2011

You knew what I meeeeeaan

Hash, that's extremely interesting dissection of Mouth Wooed Her. I lose myself in that song too much to even notice the differences in the stereo field. Also, it kinda blows me away that the voice at the beginning is Deakin but I probably should've noticed.

Other example is on the opening to 'goalkeeper'. Always assumed it was Panda but now im thinking it sounds more like avey doing a Panda impression. I remember seeing a live version of Slippi and being surprised that the end refrain was avey singing in the melody.

they are both singing in goalkeeper, someties the same lines sometimes bouncing the lines off of eachother (and he can stand there) and then panda does the last part (he dives and blahs and he kicks and he yeahs)

Hash, that's extremely interesting dissection of Mouth Wooed Her. I lose myself in that song too much to even notice the differences in the stereo field. Also, it kinda blows me away that the voice at the beginning is Deakin but I probably should've noticed.

Yeah I totally get that, it was only after many listens that I tried figuring out what was going on and started noticing the specific way they did their vocals.



I remember someone asking Dave that about Josh's voice on the old board and he was "how did you know??" Lol

tomasfearick wrote:

Other example is on the opening to 'goalkeeper'. Always assumed it was Panda but now im thinking it sounds more like avey doing a Panda impression. I remember seeing a live version of Slippi and being surprised that the end refrain was avey singing in the melody.

they are both singing in goalkeeper, someties the same lines sometimes bouncing the lines off of eachother (and he can stand there) and then panda does the last part (he dives and blahs and he kicks and he yeahs)

Oh yeah, I got that. Was meaning just the very start of the song.

NotBradPitt wrote:

Hash, that's extremely interesting dissection of Mouth Wooed Her. I lose myself in that song too much to even notice the differences in the stereo field. Also, it kinda blows me away that the voice at the beginning is Deakin but I probably should've noticed.

Yeah I totally get that, it was only after many listens that I tried figuring out what was going on and started noticing the specific way they did their vocals.



I remember someone asking Dave that about Josh's voice on the old board and he was "how did you know??" Lol

I think the deeper secret is they use the same sample at the beginning of Kids on Holiday just chopped up and effected

O shit

For real though?

Fuuuuck it does sound like it


If that's true then that also reminds me of the effect on We Tigers where they have another track of the lead vocals that keeps speeding up and slowing down.

Im in the same basket with a lot of you guys. At first I couldn't tell between the two, but now I definitely can.

the effect on We Tigers where they have another track of the lead vocals that keeps speeding up and slowing down.

Oh yeah I noticed that too! But it tends to line up with the main vocal track quite a bit despite being sped up and slowed down, so I have a feeling Avey sung it again at a different speed or just spoke normally.

And about the sample in Kids On Holiday being the same sample in Mouth Wooed Her, I reeeaaally doubt that. Fov, where did you find it?

Hash wrote:

the effect on We Tigers where they have another track of the lead vocals that keeps speeding up and slowing down.

Oh yeah I noticed that too! But it tends to line up with the main vocal track quite a bit despite being sped up and slowed down, so I have a feeling Avey sung it again at a different speed or just spoke normally.

... Isn't that just because they did it evenly enough that they cornpill each other out??

That could be the case, but I have a hard time imagining Animal Collective performing things that meticulously.

It's the same vocal take duplicated and affected