šŸŽµ How Good Are They Really šŸŽµ Animal Collective

One of the rare bands I have just completely gone off. My tastes change all the time, but I donā€™t normally actively dislike a band that I used to really like.

Animal Collective are a big exception. I used to really like them, especially around the MPP period, but I just cannot stand them now. I donā€™t know why it is. Heard a track this morning on the radio and it just set my teeth in edge. 2.

4 for me. Theyā€™ve fallen off a cliff since MWP, but great run of records before thenā€¦ although Panda Bear and Avery Tare have both released decent solo albums since MWP.

Think they really struggled with the step up to playing to big festival crowds. The smaller gigs they did around the release of MPP were pretty good, but that really didnā€™t translate to the big stage. They kept their knotty approach to playing their songs, often teasing out the hits without properly dropping them, and there werenā€™t even many visuals beyond the torch strapped to Geologistā€™s head. Which seemed like a missed opportunity and out of step with what youā€™d expect with the band and their colourful image. It was a head scratching experience for a big fan, so for casuals it must have been incredibly off-putting.

Avoided their festival sets for a long time after that, but caught the end of their Primavera set for Painting With and it seemed like theyā€™d addressed a lot of the issues, as others have suggested up threadā€¦

1 Like

For what itā€™s worth, I still absolutely adore the run of ST, Feels, SJ and MPP. The EPs from that run are wonderful as well. MPP and Feels are two of my all-time favourite albums.

If Iā€™m giving a 5 to MBV for two great albums, I can give a 5 to AC for four of the things.

It feels like they realised theyā€™d peaked after thatā€¦

2 Likes

when theyā€™re good theyā€™re very very good. caught them at the art school years ago and the light show was excellent, felt like i was tripping.
4 for me.

1 Like
3 Likes

That set was incredible. So much fun. Hated every other time Iā€™ve seen em

Love My Girls, like everyone else. Never liked the albums I listened to and I saw them at that terrible Green Man performance. I generally donā€™t like that kind of late 00s / early 10s US indie sound, I just donā€™t get it, so not surprising that AC never caught on.

Reading this thread reminded me of lookatthisfuckinghipster.com

1 Like

Have we really not done Madonna yet?

We have. 3.40.

Oh lol I canā€™t read

1 Like

I have scored Animal Collective 1/5. Just something about them that rubs me up the wrong way.

5 Likes

exactly this, pretty bad band

5 Likes

One of the worst Pitchfork bands. Rubbish.
Itā€™s too warm to explain myself. Iā€™m off for a pint.

1

6 Likes

just read the thread and seen how much my best babe acorn loves them and come to the conclusion that it is actually i who is bad

6 Likes

i donā€™t mind MPP or Strawberry Jam but they are one of the shittest live acts iā€™ve ever seen

Agree with the general consensus that the run from ST up to and including MPP (and a couple of the singles after that) was a great thing to experience as a fan. Felt like every release was just getting better and better (though in hindsight I think Feels was probably their peak - a good mix of the weirdy beardy stuff and their more direct stuff) and it felt genuinely strange/exciting seeing a band like them getting a fair bit of exposure in 2009.

For all that people used to talk about their weirdness and experimentation, their real key quality in my view was the fact they could take all that but attach it to some of the catchiest tunes going. For Reverend Green remains one of my favourite songs to listen to really LOUD.

Slim pickings post-MPP, but I really liked PB Vs the Grim Reaper, some real tunes on there.

Not many better songs than this one is there:

9 Likes
2 Likes

Another beauty, that floaty dreamy sound - and the vocals are amazing on that one. Feels really is something.