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Feels (Animal Collective)
by Roxanne Behr posted October 1, 2005
Birds chirping? Children Screaming? Squalls? Caterwauls? Ah, but of course! This is Animal Collective, anyway. Feels is Animal Collective's first full-length album since Sung Tongs in May 2004. Once again, core members Avey Tare and Panda Bear have teamed up with Geologist and Deaken for another bizarre collection of cheerful pop songs, paired with droning ballads.
The first thing one must realize about Animal Collective is that they are very abstract, and it works. All of their songs include several pleasantly random sounds, which are thrown intermittently throughout verses. In Sung Tongs, almost every track was dependent on these outbursts. In Feels, however, Animal Collective has mastered the art of layering sounds without distracting from the lyrics, rhythm, and vocals. Also, Sung Tongs relied mainly on an acoustic folk tone, while Feels is electrified (reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine?)
In Feels' introductory track, 'Did You See the Word,' Avey Tare's voice emerges in a seeming whisper, slithering through the first few verses and then rising in the chorus, where noticeable descending piano scales back him. It is not until the end of the track, however, that the listener is greeted by the ever-predictable, yet always-enjoyable moaning squalls. These seemingly sloppy background noises are what make Animal Collective unique.
'Grass' is definitely the joyous, glamorous single on Feels. It includes every element typical to an Animal Collective song, including Tare's unmistakable croon, staccato caterwauls at the end of every verse, a few bird chirps, and a generally upbeat, poppy sound. However, with a new focus on tighter instrumentals and a new rhythmic drum line, 'Grass' walks away with a little something extra.
After being pulled back and forth between lighthearted tunes and heavy serenades, the listener is presented with 'Daffy Duck,' the ultimate, calm, brooding track on Feels. The steady drums completely drop out, and instead, the rhythm becomes ambiguous and free. 'Daffy Duck' leads the way into a series of calmer pieces, serving as a perfect contrast to its preceding bouncy tracks. It is not until the last track on the album, 'Turn into Something' that the listener is finally comforted by familiar running melodies and massive layers of sound.
Feels is the perfect mixture of eerie ballads and cheerful pop songs. This wider spectrum of moods gives the album something really special. Most artists use their sixth album to experiment conceptually, but Animal Collective has done just the opposite. Feels slightly pulls back on the abstractions and adds strong, dense instrumentals. This combined with a wider range of emotion, plus everything we loved about Sung Tongs, makes for a perfect balance. It is safe to say, Feels is for reals.
The first thing one must realize about Animal Collective is that they are very abstract, and it works. All of their songs include several pleasantly random sounds, which are thrown intermittently throughout verses. In Sung Tongs, almost every track was dependent on these outbursts. In Feels, however, Animal Collective has mastered the art of layering sounds without distracting from the lyrics, rhythm, and vocals. Also, Sung Tongs relied mainly on an acoustic folk tone, while Feels is electrified (reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine?)
In Feels' introductory track, 'Did You See the Word,' Avey Tare's voice emerges in a seeming whisper, slithering through the first few verses and then rising in the chorus, where noticeable descending piano scales back him. It is not until the end of the track, however, that the listener is greeted by the ever-predictable, yet always-enjoyable moaning squalls. These seemingly sloppy background noises are what make Animal Collective unique.
'Grass' is definitely the joyous, glamorous single on Feels. It includes every element typical to an Animal Collective song, including Tare's unmistakable croon, staccato caterwauls at the end of every verse, a few bird chirps, and a generally upbeat, poppy sound. However, with a new focus on tighter instrumentals and a new rhythmic drum line, 'Grass' walks away with a little something extra.
After being pulled back and forth between lighthearted tunes and heavy serenades, the listener is presented with 'Daffy Duck,' the ultimate, calm, brooding track on Feels. The steady drums completely drop out, and instead, the rhythm becomes ambiguous and free. 'Daffy Duck' leads the way into a series of calmer pieces, serving as a perfect contrast to its preceding bouncy tracks. It is not until the last track on the album, 'Turn into Something' that the listener is finally comforted by familiar running melodies and massive layers of sound.
Feels is the perfect mixture of eerie ballads and cheerful pop songs. This wider spectrum of moods gives the album something really special. Most artists use their sixth album to experiment conceptually, but Animal Collective has done just the opposite. Feels slightly pulls back on the abstractions and adds strong, dense instrumentals. This combined with a wider range of emotion, plus everything we loved about Sung Tongs, makes for a perfect balance. It is safe to say, Feels is for reals.