For over twenty years Animal Collective have wooed listeners with jubilant melodies and left-field experimentation. They are a band that’s sound has gracefully evolved from the calculated chaos of ‘Danse Manatee’, to pop perfection in their more recently work. Amongst the ongoing evolution of their sound, they have maintained the ability to consistently produce exuberant records that harbour a tangible sense of escapism.
As a musical outfit, the band have always split opinion. You can either choose to lament their experimental approach as a soundtrack for Peep Show’s Rainbow Rhythm, or hail them as a radically game-changing group who’ve managed to evolve from album to album, I implore you to do the latter. ‘Time Skiffs’ marks the band’s first studio album in six years, being released during a period where sonic escapism is taking form as a much-needed healer for the events of the past two years.
The iconic neo-psych group once again utilise the album as a cathartic process, fruitfully combining, and in-turn expelling their experience of day-to-day life into a captivating body of work. The album touches on the often-morbid realities of adult-life: a shitstorm of divorces, fatherhood, and the anxieties attached to life passing by. In light of the initial anxiety comes the solace of understanding, a mindful acknowledgement that these experiences are all part of their growth as individuals and as a group.
A real highlight of the album is the symmetry of the tracks. Stood alone many of the tracks wouldn’t quite hit the heights, yet when fused together they work an absolute treat. ‘Cherokee’ tells the tale of a road trip through North Carolina, conjuring a brooding atmosphere that’s also abundant in ‘New Town Burnout’ and ‘On A Highway’. The band have employed the album as a tool to look back, to unearth a plethora of issues that have been neglected over the years of touring and recording. Whilst there is a real danger to being overly nostalgic, this album hits a happy medium.
Whilst there are a collection of tracks that’s lyrical content is shrouded in nostalgia, they are perfectly tempered with tracks like ‘Prester John’ that lean sitting on the bands more anthemic side. ‘Time Skiffs’ is an album that sees the Animal Collective championing the importance to look back, but not stare.
8/10
Words: Josh Crowe
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