Singles

Animal Collective - Peacebone

Louise Evans 13/08/2007

Rating: 3.5/5

The multitude of scattered electronic beeps that erupt from your speakers during the first thirty seconds of 'Peacebone' makes you wonder whether something has gone terribly wrong. Thankfully they soon settle into an addictively pulsing beat. These sparkling clusters of synths are then woven together into a rich sound tapestry alongside a myriad of strange noises and looping rhythms. The mixture of high pitched vocals with call and response choruses and bursts of spine-tingling screams create a distorted atmosphere and a sense of a deliberate lack of cohesion.

The other part of Animal Collective's first release since signing to Domino records is the more ethereal 'Safer'. Clocking in at around nine minutes, it contains several distinct sections yet patterns and rhythms dance and build throughout. Twinkling pianos and vocal echoes bounce around rumbles and growls in the distance conjuring up images of watching shadows flickering around a fire set deep in a forest at midnight. The chant of “I'm alright is you're alright” strains further with every repetition before finally breaking into another dreamy segment.

As the first offering from new album 'Strawberry Jam', this single proves that Animal Collective are continuing on their experimental path with far more interesting results than most could ever envisage.