Animal Collective - Spirit They're Gone Spirit They've Vanished

by Maarten Schiethart

published: 28 / 10 / 2003

Animal Collective - Spirit They're Gone Spirit They've Vanished

Label: Fat Cat Records
Format: CD

intro

Timely reissue of first two albums by "intelligent percussion" experimentalists and New York trio Animal Collective, who have just finished touring with Four Tet

New York trio Animal Collective supported Four Tet on his recent UK tour. Their third album 'Here Comes The Indian' was released via Carpark in the US earlier this year, and on Fat Cat in the UK. Fat Cat have also just re-issued their first 2 albums on one package, 'Spirit They've Gone, Spirit They've Vanished' and 'Danse Manatee' . These first two albums put into perspective Animal Collective's third album 'Here Comes The Indian' , and follow on from the attention already drawn by this intelligent percussion experiment in pop. In the year 2000 Animal Collective debuted with a set of excellent songs, 'Spirit They've Gone, Spirit They've Vanished', full of psychedelic twists riding high on melody. 'Danse Manatee' shows an unexpected turn to tribal art rock, performed with such great ease that one would expect Animal Collective to have a magnificent improvisational talent. Also acting under their respective artist's names; Avey Tare, Panda Baer and Geologist, the collective's multi-talents echo memories of This Heat and Pere Ubu. Atmospheric drum tracks with sweet jangles overrule artsy confusion. Highlight tracks 'Meet the Light Child' and 'Penny Dreadfuls' feature a very satisfactory juxtaposition of melody chords with eerie noodlings. Animal Collective can burst into a walloping battle of sonics and next move to tears with dreamlike jitter. Their unrest is well-dosed and framed within the convention of an album. It's far from a 'statement' yet rather it is a pleasure to return to.

Track Listing:-

1 Spirit They've Vanished
2 April And The Phantom
3 Untitled
4 Penny Dreadfuls
5 Chocolate Girl
6 Everyone Whistling
7 La Rapet
8 Bat You'll Fly
9 Someday I'll Grow To Be As Tall As The Giant
10 Alvin Row

Label Links:-

http://www.fat-cat.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/FatCatRecords
http://fatcat-records.tumblr.com/
https://www.youtube.com/fatcatrecords
https://twitter.com/FatCatRecords

live reviews

Forum, London, 24/3/2009

At a keenly anticipated, strikingly visual show at the Forum in London, Mark Rowland watches pioneering electro act Animal Collective play a set which completely splits its audience

Bronson Theatre Centre, Ottawa, 8/9/2007

Coronet Club, London, 11/7/2007

Scala, London, 25/10/2005

features

Profile (2005)

With their new album 'Feels' just out, Dominic Simpson profiles the career of idiosyncratic and experimental New York-based American psychedelia act the Animal Collective

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