Animal Collective is a pretty widely known experimental and psychedelic pop band from Baltimore, and was formed in 2003. I listened to another episode of the Deeper Listening podcast that I mentioned in writing about Funkadelic’s Standing On the Verge of Getting It On (1974), and both of the hosts spoke pretty highly of this Animal Collective album, Centipede Hz (2012), which doesn’t tend to receive as much love as the group’s widely acclaimed albums, Strawberry Jam (2007) and Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009), which were the two studio albums that preceded this particular album. Though this album doesn’t tend to get the same love as the aforementioned albums, Centipede Hz (2012) still reached #16 on the US Billboard 200. I haven’t listened to any of this album before, but I used to listen to the Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009) pretty frequently back in the day. I’m pretty stoked to give this album a listen, so with that said, I’m going to jump on into the music.
“Moonjock” starts with a really interesting, sort of spacey countdown, and gets into a big, nearly industrial beat that I’m already really digging. So far this track sort of sounds like Nine Inch Nails circa 2003. Oh wow, the vocals come in and bring in a sort of experimental art pop sound that somehow complements that industrial beat quite nicely. Holy smokes, there are so many textures in this track that continually hook me further into the listening experience. I’m really digging this track so far. Holy smokes, a vocal line that nearly becomes a scream sends the track down this really groovy, upbeat rabbit-hole of sounds. Wow, this song has such a dynamic sound. Holy smokes, near the end of the song there’s a combination of spacey effects and what sounds to be a countdown that suggests the band is about to send you further into this textured, experimental, psychedelic space that they’ve developed. Great track, and I’m excited to hear more.
Holy smokes, “Today’s Supernatural” starts out with a really groovy segue in from the previous track. Oh wow, I really dig the vocals in this track, which have a really interesting stuttering sound for certain lines, verge on screaming for other lines, and meld with the melodic backdrop in other lines of the track. Holy smokes, this soundscape has evolved a ton, and I’m absolutely digging it. This track sounds incredibly psychedelic. I really dig the synths/keyboards in this track a lot. Just saying I like them doesn’t really do justice to describe the ever changing sounds and textures, but they’re quite complex to describe well and keep up with the music. Great track.
“Rosie On” begins with another smooth segue in from the previous track. Oh wow, the soundscape has a sort of whimsical, spacey, bubbly quality between the different keyboard and synth effects. I really dig the bass in this track. Some of these synth sound effects remind me a lot of Fifty Foot Hose, an experimental and psychedelic rock band from the Bay area in the late 1960s. Wow, both this song and the album have been incredibly dynamic. Great track.
“Applesauce” gradually fades in with a mixture of nearly ghost-like effects in the background and some synths that sound like you’re trying to tune some sort of space radio to a particular station. Oh wow, this track reminds me a lot of “My Girls”, probably the track I used to listen to most frequently from their album, Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009). So far this song is probably the least intricate and most radio-friendly. Oh wow, I’m really digging the vocals in this track, which seem to stir with the instrumentation in this track in a really groovy way. I really dig the bass synths in this tune. Wow, another great track.
“Wide Eyed” starts with a pretty smooth transition from the previous track. Oh wow, I really dig the different layering of the synths in this track. It’s a bit tricky to describe what I’m listening to, as the synths form a symphony of experimental and psychedelic pop while the vocals seem to gradually guide the music along, as though they’re taking on the role of a shaman in the upbeat soundscape. Oh wow, I really dig the outro to this track as more layers gradually fade in, with laughter being the final thing you hear in the song. Great tune.
“Father Timer” starts out with another smooth segue in from the previous track. I really dig the sound of the shakers in the percussion, which almost brings a sort of earthly sound to this far-out listening experience. Oh wow, there’s almost a bit of what sounds to be some heavily synthesized funk guitar in the track that I’m really digging. I’m vaguely reminded of Akron/Family in this track, in particular their album, Meek Warrior (2006), with the spacey and shamanic psychedelic sounds. Super sweet track.
“New Town Burnout” gradually fades in with some deep vocals and some bass-y synths, and suddenly a massive beat joins in that has absolutely hooked me further into this listening experience. Oh wow, the song has some really groovy synth and vocal melodies that remind me a bit of 80s rock and new wave. The tune has an almost mellow approach compared to much of the rest of the album, as though the band has you drifting through their spacey psychedelic soundscape, with different stars lighting up, comets flying by, and entire galaxies taking shape in their music. Oh wow, I really dig the droning quality of the vocals at the end, which almost bring in a sort of raga sound as the track seems to wade into darker territory with most of the synths fading away, leaving only only the industrial-esque beat. Wow, great track.
“Monkey Riches” begins with a seamless segue in from the previous track, with different synths gradually joining that somewhat industrial beat as the soundscape gradually forms into an experimental and psychedelic pop sound that is somehow hooking me further into the listening experience. Oh wow, more and more layers continue coming into the soundscape. I really dig the bass synths/drums in this track. Oh wow, a lot of layers drop away and the soundscape picks up a sort of tinny sound that I’m really digging. Oh wow, the track seems to be building up to something massive, and reminds me a lot of the build up to a drop in dubstep tracks. Oh wow, more layers continue coming, which leads the song into a coda that contains some deeper, stronger bass notes that seem to take the form of a “drop” of some sort. Oh wow, the vocals come back in and the track seems to still be evolving, even as the track is coming to an end. The structure of the song falls away at the end, leaving only a conglomeration of some groovy spacey synths to finish the track. Wow, another great track.
“Mercury Man” gradually fades in and the tune takes on a really quick tempo, which nearly feels like the reintroduction of gravity after venturing so far out into space, but all this gravity seems to be doing is slingshotting you around and back into space at a greater velocity. Oh wow, there’s some really groovy synths that nearly have a ghost-like sound during this experimental breakdown. Oh wow, the instrumentation of the track leads further into that spacey exploration sound as the track comes to an end. Great tune.
“Pulleys” starts out with some really sweet synths and a smooth beat that combine to nearly sound like running water over the soundscape, as though you were exploring space just a moment ago but are now venturing through a colorful reef tucked away in the ocean. I’m really digging this one. Wow, super sweet track.
“Amanita” begins with a really big beat that immediately reminds me of “Do I Wanna Know?” by the Arctic Monkeys. Oh wow, more synths and layers join in, creating a really groovy soundscape that reminds me of the listening experience from earlier in this album, as well as some of their work from Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009), and in particular “Daily Routine”. I really dig the bongos/congas in the percussion in this track, which gradually introduces some earthly sounds to the soundscape, as though the band is now pulling you back to dry land from the depths of the ocean in this track. I really dig the upbeat nature of the track. Oh wow, the final moments of the track consists of a massive sound that almost has an ominous feel, but really wraps up the album nicely. Great track, and a great finish to this album.
Holy smokes, this album made for a great listening experience. The different textures, synths, sound effects, and the detailed arrangement throughout the album sent the soundscape through space, into the depths of the ocean, and back onto dry land. The album was a convergence of dense layers of experimental and psychedelic pop, as well as touching on industrial sounds and effects, and even raga at different points throughout the album. If you’re a fan of highly experimental, psychedelic, and dense pop and electronica, then you might want to check out this album. If you do decide to give this album a listen, I sincerely do hope that you enjoy the listening experience at least as much as I did.
-A