Subscribe to DIY's newsletter!
UK EditionTHIS IS FAKE DIY (UK EDITION)
SWITCH EDITION: UK | NORTH AMERICA (COMING SOON)
Animal Collective - Water Curses

Artist: Animal Collective

Rating: 4/5

Critics and the music aficionados who pay attention to them couldn't get enough of Animal Collective's 2007 album, the at times difficult yet joyous Strawberry Jam. After all the excitement, it would perhaps be rude of the New York quartet to deny their fans 'Water Curses', an EP of Strawberry Jam off-cuts and leftovers.

Title track 'Water Curses' burbles through highly strung keyboard buzzes and flute warbles so distorted they could almost be underwater. There is a melody, although it's difficult to hold onto and gradually unravels into a jittering hullabaloo.

'Water Curses' is experimental, but underneath the freeform structure and sampling there is a pop song. It is strangely shaped, sometimes noisy and sometimes erratic, but still a pop song. Because it is simultaneously boldly experimental and celebratory, 'Water Curses' is as much fun as The Beach Boys dancing to John Cage.

As for what it's all about, it's something to do with "I want to be like water" and to "never need a doctor". That's just the lyrics you can understand. Who really knows? This is Animal Collective, after all.

'Water Curses' is released as part of an EP through Domino on 5th May 2008.

Jacky Hall

Animal Collective MySpace





Comments

No comments yet
*Name:
Email:
Notify me about new comments on this page
Hide my email
*Text:
 
Animal Collective
More Animal Collective articles on DIY!