Where to start with Animal Collective....
Didn't quite realise how much they've done.
Any suggestions as to where i should start?
Ta muchly x
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Feels
Strawberry Jam
Their best
^this
most people will probably say Feels but SJ is a much more accessible place to start. Feels is good to discover afterwards.
Feels
has some better songs than SJ, Banshee Beat is my favourite of theirs, but SJ is far more consistent. Feels, MPP & Sung Tongs are second place albums for me depending on what day it is.
I'd say Feels is the best place to start as it hints at the sound
they progressed to in SJ and MPP whilst still having songs that wouldn't be out of place on Sung Tongs. If you start at SJ I think you'd find it harder to listen to their earlier stuff imo.
Strawberry Jam is by far my favourite record of theirs.
its probably
my least favourite.
i'd say start with Feels. then Merriweather.
Sung Tongs or Feels
Sung Tongs
it's pretty much 50-50 their more tuneful stuff and their more experimental stuff. so good place to start
Hollindagain is no doubt their best album
get ahold of it as soon as possible
Still don't think SJ is as good as MPP I'm afraid so I would never advide anyone to start with that.
Everyone I know says to start with 'Feels' but I don't get that because 'Feels' is still far less accessible than MPP. I'd say start with their latest.
I also have a sneaking suspicion that for many people that will as far as they ever get with AC anyway. I think there other stuff is much more Marmite.
Merriweather is the most accesible, therefor a good starting point
Sun Tongs or Feels are also goo ones as it shows both sides of their output a bit better
Strawberry Jam would deffinatly be top choice if the production wasnt so bad, but the songs are good so I can dig it :D
Start with the newest, then work your way backwards until they get rubbish!
Total opposite of most bands.
^ I'd say this
That's what I did (although I've only got to Feels so far, struggling to get into it as much as SJ or MPP...)
don't do this
their first album is easily among their best
I started
at SJ, moved on to their EP that came out after (Water Curses), and then got MPP the day it came out. In my book, when I have money, I'm either gonna get 'sung' or 'feels' pending on which one's cheaper.
Is this a mistake?
no
No
No
danse manatee is probably their most accessible record
from just before they started making unlistenable noise on sing tongs. hollindagain also has some cracking choruses on it
woops typo
*song tings
Sung Tongs.
But they all work.
I personally started with Feels
(was instantly hooked by Grass on it), then moved on to Strawberry Jam.
But if I was recommending, I'd go for the other way round for some reason.
Fuck it, just go and get any (all?) of the 3 most recent albums, and you won't be disappointed. Then move on from there...
I would say...
definitely go with Strawberry Jam. While MPP is much, MUCH more accessible, it stands out from the entirety of their catalog because, while being accessibly poppy (see Fireworks, Chores, For Reverend Green, Winter Wonderland), it is still distinguishably Animal Collective making it, in that it is lyrically and texturally really, really fucking weird (see Peacebone and #1)
However, after you have dabbled in those waters, progress to MPP, followed by a Sung Tongs/Feels double whammy. From there, I honestly couldn't tell you, because I'm not really familiar with the rest of their work, besides Water Curses (Listen to that in conjunction with StrawJam)
Also:
Sung Tongs was absurdly strange (Who Could Win A Rabbit?) and probably unlistenable to most, but remember: it had Winter's Love on is for god's sake.
what the hell is wrong with you people?
not only is Strawberry Jam the worst AC album, but it might in fact be the worst album ever made. By anyone
Sung Tongs is aight tho
No
Water Curses EP.
It is a short release, not much of a financial commitment, and will give you a good idea of their unorthodox melodic approach, it starts out with the two things they do best (a churning uptempo jam and a meditative tranced out builder), and closes with two tracks that don't hit you over the head with their genius like the first two, but slowly draw you in. Without question, Water Curses is the best choice for a first time listener.
From there, it depends what aspect of the band you want to experience.
Their earlier noisy side: Here Comes The Indian, Hollindagain (live).
Their "indie rock" record: Feels.
Their two man ramshackle folk album with beautifully threadbare harmonies and crumpled percussion: Sung Tongs
Their sludgy psychedelic freakout: Strawberry Jam
Their pop accessible house party electronic crossover masterpiece: Merriweather Post Pavilion.
How is Feels in any way "indie rock"?
It is rock music that was released on an independent lable.
starting with individual songs isn't a bad idea.
i have a friend who thought he hated animal collective, but i just started playing a few tracks here and there when he was around. now he likes them.
i'd check out:
grass and did you see the words (from feels)
peacebone, for reverend green, and fireworks (from strawberry jam)
into the flowers, my girls, summertime clothes, and lion in a coma (from MPP)
I'm sure other people have a lot of suggestions for songs, too, but these are the ones that my friend responded to best. Once you have a feel for their music, however, it's a good idea to go at them as full albums from start to finish.
i started with sung tongs
and i think it sets you up quite nicely for the albums after. i'd say feels is a better album as a whole than sung tongs, strawberry jam or MPP...
basically though, any of those, you can't miss