I’ve been hearing a wide range of opinions about Animal Collective’s Fall Be Kind EP, which leaked last week before its December 15th debut.
For me, I give it an instant thumbs up.
It’s like a little treat, getting a five-song bundle from a these three crazies less than a year before their release of Merriweather Post Pavilion.
The opening track ‘Graze’ really does it for me - it contains one of the most beautifully strange transitions I’ve ever heard. It’s a body high of a dream sequence lullaby that turns into a somewhat ridiculous use of pan flutes reminiscent of an African safari.
My favorite by far is ‘What Would I want? Sky,’ which is characterized by their usual repetitive nature and witty uses of hallow, echoing voices both elevated and grounded by crashing and banging. I feel like whirling around or falling asleep… I can’t decide which, but both are good options.