animal collective

I'm quite glad for the lack of low-key highly annoying noises they are sometimes wont to litter around their records

100% agree, also these new ones have less of Avey's yelps which I appreciate as well

'Stride Rite' really doesn't sound much like them at all. Makes me think of Lambchop or any of those Americana bands who occasionally stray into Sinatra-esque swing-balladry. Very nice. Yes, would have been a perfect closer

maybe it's just specific sounds that reminded me of FBK, maybe all the layered vocal bits like in "What Would I Want? Sky" or how these calm passages would suddenly explode into something else like in "Graze". or maybe how the last part of "Defeat" sounds like an even more stony version of "On a Highway".

that said a lot of people on here disagree with my "sounds like x" comparisons so take it with a grain of salt :)

Xpost: “Stride Rite” is a Deakin song. If you haven’t heard “sleep cycle” it’s one of the better projects related to AnCo I’ve heard.

they've done plenty of floaty piano songs like "stride rite" before - first half of "graze" (there's your fall be kind comparison), "daffy duck", "safer", etc.

people just coming to this album should also listen to time skiffs which is this one's sibling (the material was written at the same time, and only ended up on two albums due to recording constraints caused by the pandemic) and a little better. it's even more like mpp/fall be kind, it's like the chiller moments from those filtered through 70s exotica

Defeat is awesome. First part is reminiscent of "bees" (my maybe favourite song from feels). Love when AnCo loses the drums and geologist gets to do his thing. You can tell they ain't kids anymore with this one

This while album is incredible, almost exactly what I wanted to hear from these guys at this point. Just an incredible run since Time Skiffs and I hope it continues.

This is the first time since 2005 that this band will make it into my top ten albums list.

"defeat" has more than a little side 5 of tales from topographic oceans realness

The mood and the melody of Deakin’s song “Stride Rite” called to mind one of my favorite Josh Ritter songs,“Myrna Loy”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0_b7wM5-mY

It's easily one of their best albums

Yes!

"defeat" has more than a little side 5 of tales from topographic oceans realness

definitely in A) the sheer amount of lyrics and B) the fact that it takes forever to get going

I like it more than any of the TFTO tracks as a whole though

hearing this live was probably one of my coolest show experiences ever - I try to not look at setlists beforehand, all I knew was they were likely gonna play some new stuff. I had no idea they were gonna play so much of it, much less a tune that was 23 minutes long. once it got to the ending bit I remember looking behind me and just seeing a sea of transfixed faces, nobody was talking or making any noise. I've never quite seen a general admission concert get like that before.

At the show i went to, my friend wouldn’t shut up his mouth through the whole thing. Still good though.

I keep forgetting about this.

So have most publication year end lists, so you’re not alone!

you know what I actually like the way the album ends. I think given the downtrodden nature of the album and the fact that it's starting to set in just how long these guys have been together ending on a acapella track like that is a cool idea. like one of those in the end we've all still got each other sorta vibes. "All the Clubs are Broken" is the one that really doesn't fit, I actually dig it a lot but it doesn't belong here