Somewhere between AC’s tribal rhythms and Phil Lesh’s mellifluous vocals is the sound of a generation gap closing. Everything else on Fall Be Kind, from the revelatory drone of ”Bleed” to the fractalized synths of ”I Think I Can,” just feels brand-new.
Rather than heading back toward the fringes, Animal Collective has confirmed on Fall Be Kind that it’s a rare group capable of pushing itself creatively while simultaneously reaching out to greater numbers of people.
All told ... as we crawl to the end of this Year Of The Animal Collective, this release can certainly be said to have further elevated their status.
The release of Fall Be Kind, a five-song EP of MPP leftovers, shows that the band’s scraps are as good as the best of what most other acts can offer.
There's still a sense of gamble with Animal Collective, nothing is fixed-- and that's exactly what makes them an especially exciting band.
If Fall Be Kind is noticeably less hooky than Merriweather Post Pavilion, it sounds just as ravishing, and offers an equally cohesive whole.
The band’s trademark solemnity and repetitive downtempo styles prevail in the final three tracks, making you feel like you’re treading in a swimming pool of honey – in a good way.
Far from the emperor with no summertime clothes, the five songs on Fall Be Kind--a mixture of holdovers from the MPP sessions and new material recorded this year--retain the electronics, but add some samples and head in a darker thematic direction.
Fall Be Kind doesn’t exactly break past the barriers set by this year’s Merriweather Post Pavilion, but it is an excellent extension of the ethos captured by that particular record.
The music here is close enough to MPP, but it has moved enough that it gives some insight into where they might be going. Fall Be Kind is good for two listens in a row, which is something worth talking about.
An easily digestible slice of the band at their best, the five-tracker amplifies the circular harmonies of Merriweather Post Pavilion, but substitutes a slightly more laid-back feel compared to the dense, frenzied sound of Merriweather.
Like the rest of the band’s catalogue, there is an underlying current of hope and an inextinguishable lust for life on Fall Be Kind. These things are not always explicitly expressed in the lyrics. They are often felt in a dramatic drum crash, in the way Portner and Lennox’s vocals support one another or even in particularly soothing wash of amniotic sounds.
Fall Be Kind is yet another reason why Animal Collective TOTALLY TRANSCEND any notion of hipster hype-ism, another feather in a crowded cap. God bless these guys.
Fall Be Kind shows the band on the path to becoming an even mellower band and nothing here is exceptionally energetic except for the last half of Graze.
This EP represents a firming-up of Animal Collective’s position on their career trajectory.
Last year's Merriweather Post Pavilion, SPIN's 2009 Album of the Year, forwent such formlessness, but the haze returns on this five-track EP. Fortunately, Merriweather's hummable, techno-indebted delirium also returns.
Like all of the Brooklyn band’s records, this EP is both a frustrating mess and peacefully elegant — sometimes within the same song.
The major criticism of Animal Collective has been the band's proclivity to bewilder listeners more than give them the pop songs they want. It's difficult to criticize Merriweather on those terms, but it applies a lot more to Fall Be Kind. What's worse, that bewilderment prevents Fall Be Kind from being what the best Animal Collective releases always are: fun.
When not overextending the disappointing, unfinished musical projects on Fall Be Kind’s, the boys of Animal Collective are busy beating their promising ideas into monotony.
2009 albums (8/10)
might be a hot take but best ANCO album.
best song: What Would I Want? Sky
I don't know about fall, but spring is very kind!
Fall Be Kind is Animal Collective at their most ambient. The spacy sounds bring for some of the most wide and atmospheric sounds Animal Collective has ever made. This album is filled to the brim with passionate performances and beautiful sampling, especially noticeable in the track What Would I Want? Sky, bringing some of the best choruses of all of Animal Collective. Every song here takes it's time to truly bui9ld up to something special, and I ... read more
When this came out, it was all about getting a studio version of "On a Highway" for me.
There’s not much I can say. This record carries all of AnCo’s momentum from MPP to construct a focused, beautiful, anthemic EP. Incredible.
This EP has 0 RIGHT TO BE THIS GOOD like actually. the twist for "Graze" is one of the most uplifting and catchy grooves i have ever heard in any song ever. "What Would I Want? Sky" doesn't even need an explanation it's that perfect. "Bleed" is an fully overwhelming sound concoction that feels very much like a Panda Bear inspired tune, and serves as a great soothing Segway into "On a Highway" which takes a minute to click, but deserves the listening ... read more
Just kind of Average. A listening experience that surprisingly just drags over only 27 minutes.
1 | Graze 5:22 | 90 |
2 | What Would I Want? Sky 6:45 | 91 |
3 | Bleed 3:28 | 82 |
4 | On a Highway 4:36 | 86 |
5 | I Think I Can 7:09 | 84 |