Animal Collective - Peachbone

  by Chris O'Toole

published: 8 / 8 / 2007

Label: Domino Records
Format: CDS

intro

Splendid new single from the Animal Collective, the first on Domino Records

The new Animal Collective record, 'Strawberry Jam', is out later in the year, the group's first release for Domino Records, and 'Peachbone' is the first track taken from it. Based on this evidence the group have mutated once again; this time away from the simple, repeating guitar lines and the call and response vocals of the 'People EP' toward a more overtly electronic sound, incorporating slashes of hyper-synth noise and hectic drumming amalgamated with joyous, lyrical vocals. The track begins with the single whispered word before launching into an series of electronic pop glitches more true to Dan Deacon than previous Animal Collective releases. Whilst these initial electronic elements slink into the background they remain a constant, playful presence in the distance, propelling the track as other dashes of synth noise are applied and momentum is built through perpetual tribal drumming. The central tenant, as ever with Animal Collective, is the melodic vocal line, this time sung by Noah Lennox, which bursts with gleeful pleasure all over the track, and as Lennox sings looping rhymes lurch forward, gathering speed like a wurlitzer with loose nuts and bolts before coming to a dramatic close, ending with the same word as the first. The group have taken a sharp right turn with this release, still focusing their eclectic tendencies into melodic vocal lines , but here channeling them through electronic machinery rather than acoustic guitars and drums. There has always been a tremendous depth and variety to the group but here everything is developed to terminal velocity; evolving and reforming before it is possible to fully grasp fully what is happening. There is more in this track than some groups put in whole albums; a brilliant listen.

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