Time Skiffs

Animal Collective

Animal Collective, the beloved freak-folk band released a new record last month and I'm just now getting around to sharing my thoughts. I had to sit on this one for a while because nothing was really connecting. I believe it has come to the point where I have to give in and conclude that this one is just not for me. The sounds, the performances, and the production are all well and fine, but almost as soon as one track finishes, so too does my memory of anything that just transpired over the course of those last four to six minutes. When it comes to Animal Collective, admittedly, I've always been more a fan of the 'freak' than the folk, so these easy-going folk jams with occasional intergalactic oddities is not really enough to get me to come back. I will say, the one track that I did really like was We Go Back. I thought the vocal pitch manipulations and the way they bounce all over the place were really cool, and I also really liked the selection of the woodwind. It's one of those production decisions that felt truly perfect. It also has a perfect length; dipping out before things become stale unlike a few other tracks here. That's really about all I have to say. I know that's not much, but I've honestly been racking my brain for a while and nothing really note worthy is formulating. It is high time I just move on.