Review Summary: This Album is a Celebration, A Devastation, and Beautiful Depressing Story, all together. The Animal Collective welcomes you to this Gathering, because it is a Happy, yet Haunting moment, for Here Comes The Indian.
I will be honest, when I was first got into The Animal Collective, I didn't really understand this record. After a few adventures and experiences with this record, and constant replay, it has grown onto me as one of my favorite AC records. One can say this is an evolution of Danse Manatee, and i can see that, but this album stands alone as woodland extravaganza with childhood nostalgia shattered crystals, and playful demons conjuring the best and worst of The Animal Collective.
This Album is a Celebration, A Devastation, and Beautiful Depressing Story, all together. The Animal Collective welcomes you to this Gathering, because it is a Happy, yet Haunting moment, for Here Comes The Indian.
Our adventure begins with the ghost lady "Native Belle" sharing secrets of her soul. Avey Tare slips in and chants a few passages, trying to woo The Lady, hidden within the smoke. The vocals on this track and most of the album has a unique feedback sound, giving the album a flighty ghost-like mood. The guitar takes on similar qualities, accompanied with Panda Bear's tribal high energy drumming. After the introduction settles, there is some playful thumping and spastic outbreaks to break the silence. A playful yet haunting song.
"So do you, so do you, so do you
Love me, love me, love me
Things'll get bad"
A noise whistle rotates and settles, introducing us , Goblin and Troll like wails and grumbles come out from the darkness, followed by some back-and-forth screaming. Panda rolls a bit on his snare, and Avey sends out some Cicadas on his guitar. Having the playful thumping as the song before, more creeping whispered vocals are introduced, followed by sad, melancholy guitar, slowing plucking away. The energy dies and all the members clap slowly in unison. Their mantra at the end has a positive message, but sadly comes across as a depressing prayer, "Hey Light, I can wear my Moccasins, you have made Me, Smile again, There ain't nothin like you."
Most of the Spirits and Creatures are here for the Gathering. Bringing us to the Ceremonial "Infant Dressing Table" Distorted chants and a Crystal atmosphere encompasses the Air. Before we were treated to spastic laughter and crashing, now we watch the grey skies pass at high speed, you can see family and creatures going about their daily lives, the suffering consumes. The guitar twinkles from left to right. There is hope amidst all the sadness, and the confusion. Towards the end the singing becomes unison from everyone just as it did in "Hey Light" We are a family, sadness or not.
"Panic" starts without warning, probably the most chaotic and hectic track on the album. Avey Tare yelps and screams, expressing so much pain, the paranoia can but help get to you. One can easily get lost in all of the layers of Avey freakout. Bird squawks and Slithering Snake hissing, its everywhere. The Panic slowly turns to suffering calm towards the end. So far all these sounds have evolved within so much space, taking us to the next evolution.
Imagine being submerged under a grotto, or Swampy Marsh, with sharp long nails gently caressing your skin, broken transmission frequencies, and the old skeleton of a grandmother stuck at a piano, and you have "Two Sails on A Sound". Its like being trapped in a submarine with gouls and goblins. The song flows along with a constant Piano note melody stuck on repeat, what evolves here is the background becoming the foreground, as the voices and guitar rises and intensify, like watching a storm slowly destroy everything in its path, a devastating experience to witness, but this is simply nature at work. The Ending to this chapter is similar as before, with Rotary Whistle Frequencies floating in the air, and Voices swooning along, soothing the end.
Coming to an abrupt explosion is the album's most happiest, twisted, quickly played "Slippi" explaining the story about raising a family because of a quick little experience, this song is not a sad prayer but a happy joyful celebration, back with Avey's high feedback vocals and chord progression that make you feel like your in a festival with happy Marimba dancers. The song gets to a Smiling skip when all the noise settles and we are rewarded with Lion King drumming and group chants, Celebrate, She's guna have a Baby.
Our adventure comes to a close but is not over yet, reaching us all "Too Soon" The slithering sounds rise and stop abruptly repeatedly, Avey sounds like a Snake one second, and then a Croaking Frog, Explosions of color and crackles reminiscent of fireworks, followed by a reverbed dripping that sounds like it was dropped from the "Water Curses EP" This song is a sad song, maybe because the End is here? OR because the Indian was never found? Many questions arise on this last track, but ultimately leaving you hopeful because the pain is all over and The Adventure with The Animal Collective has shown you all the stories and sites of the Enchanted Forest. Panda bangs on his drums like it will be his last, Avey whispering his Last words, The Indian has Came, and The Animal have Left.
