Animal Collective, "Fall Be Kind" EP review

Apparently Animal Collective wasn't quite finished with 2009. After releasing one of my favorite albums of the year in Merriweather Post Pavilion in January, they recently put out a five-song EP -- Fall Be Kind. It is available now digitally, and will be released on CD and vinyl December 14.

As a whole, the EP is fairly average, with a couple impressive standouts. The first song, "Graze," starts off kind of slow, but then ends up with a circus-type feel. I like this song -- its repeating "Why do you have to go?" ending is catchy.

AC strikes gold with the second song on the EP. "What Would I Want? Sky" also has kind of a multiple-personality song structure. It begins ominously, with chanting and a building undertone. Nothing new from the band here. But then the song changes directions completely, playing off a Grateful Dead sample (the first time a Grateful Dead song has been legally sampled). "What Would I Want? Sky" is infectious. I've probably listened to it 30 times in the past week since I downloaded it. Might be my favorite song of the year.

The rest of the EP is OK. Some slower, meandering stuff, but nothing that is unlistenable -- which you can get from AC sometimes. So I'd say the EP is worth a listen -- if nothing else for "What Would I Want? Sky".

No. 14: Animal Collective

Animal Collective is an experimental music group originally from Baltimore. The band is officially made up of four members: Avey Tare (David Porter), Panda Bear (Noah Lennox), Geologist (Brian Wietz), and Deakin (Josh Dibb), although Deakin is currently taking some time off from the band and did not contribute to their latest album, Merriweather Post Pavilion. Word is that he plans on returning eventually.

I am a big Animal Collective fan, but I admit they can be difficult to get into. On the surface, a lot of their songs are kind of weird, but I think once you strip down their music, you'll find they have some really great tunes. The band uses loops and sound effects to produce a layered sound, to go along with complex vocals. The vocals are what makes this band good. Singers Avey Tare and Panda Bear work well off each other, yet both have their own unique sound.

Merriweather Post Pavilion is one of my favorite albums from this year. It's more electronic than their previous album, Strawberry Jam, but I think it has stronger vocals. "My Girls" and "Brother Sport" are obvious strong tracks, but check out "Guys Eyes" to get a good idea of how intricate Animal Collective can be.

I've seen this band twice live. The first time, at the 2008 Pitchfork Music Festival, was one of the best shows I've ever seen. But this past winter at Metro, they put on a clunker. (See my review of the show here.) I'm hoping they will redeem themselves this year at Lollapalooza. They play Saturday at 7:30, going up against Ben Harper. This is an easy decision, people: go see Animal Collective. They also have a DJ set at 2:30 on Saturday.

Myspace

Animal Collective at Metro, Jan. 22

I was really looking forward to Animal Collective returning to Chicago after their outstanding performance at last summer's Pitchfork Music Festival. I was hoping they'd be able to recreate the atmosphere and mood in an indoor environment. Unfortunately, I was a bit let down, as the band performed for only a tad over one hour.

After playing about nine or ten songs, the group left the stage. I wondered if they could possibly be taking a set break -- it was much too soon for an encore. Two of the band members -- Panda Bear and Geologist -- returned to the stage and informed the crowd that Avey Tare was sick and he threw out his voice. The two played one song and then the lights came on.

Under normal circumstances, I would say this would have been a disastrous concert. But despite its brevity, it was still enjoyable. The sound (which is very unpredictable at Metro) was pretty good, although I thought the vocals should have been a bit louder. AC played mostly songs off their new album, "Merriweather Post Pavilion," as well as the opener from the album "Sung Tongs." The songs flowed nicely and there were definitely some high-intensity moments.

However, I didn't think the performance translated well to the indoor setting. Their music seemed more natural outside on a summer night. Looking back at the show, Avey Tare definitely took a back seat. He played guitar on only one or two songs, and I couldn't see him for a lot of the show. I think the lack of his presence really took a lot away from the concert. One of my favorite parts of AC is the balance between the two singers and their differences in song-writing styles. This balance was definitely shifted toward Panda Bear.

So overall, it was a fun show, but, ultimately, disappointing.

Animal Collective clip from Pitchfork

This song from Animal Collective's 2008 Pitchfork Music Festival performance in Chicago this past summer was definitely a highlight. The song, titled "My Girls," will be on the band's new album, due out next January. I love the turn this song takes around the third minute.