September 16, 2012
1 min read

Rocking the space jams

A black and yellowish tone montage of facial portrait of Animal Collective band members at four corners.

The Animal Collective foursome band members stand in front of the wood with tall leafless trees.BAND: Animal Collective.
ALBUM: Centipede HZ.

Animal Collective destroys the spaced-out sounds that have defined it with harsher drumbeats on their new album Centipede HZ.

The psychedelic band’s ninth effort returns to its complex jam-band meets art-school roots.

It opens with the track Moonjock, which sets the tone for the album — changing tempos, surreal lyrics and vocals ranging from mumbling to screaming. Today’s Supernatural continues the aggression, with an infectious chorus that perfects the album’s lead single.

Then comes the triumph of the album: Applesauce. It is a lo-fi neo-pop song that can be compared to the more playful tracks from The Beatles’ White Album.

After that, the album starts losing steam. The remaining tracks are enjoyable, but have too many elements to retain clarity. The drums are unyielding below chaotic vocals and instrumentation.

The songs start blending together and the album never changes its style, making the second half boring and forgettable.

The final track Amanita at least closes the experience with strength; an ominous beat breathes fresh air into the stale sound of the previous songs.

Don’t let its inconsistencies put you off. It is a solid effort that will leave your inner Dead Head happy if you fully digest it.

A close up casual portrait of Animal Collective where all the band members are happily smiling.


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Previous Story

Dons targeting title

Next Story

College adds new course offerings

Latest from Blog

Campus construction update

Filling cracks on the roof of the Technical Arts Building. Synthetic turf on the football field. Repairs made to the swimming pool. Three construction projects that are part of the Santa Ana

New artificial intelligence courses launch this fall

Five new artificial intelligence courses launched this fall semester as part of the Associate of Science Degree in Artificial Intelligence for Business and certificate program. Students will receive hands-on training in AI

Dons open season with exhibition against Rams

With the fall semester back in swing, the Santa Ana College football team started its season with an exhibition match against Victor Valley College last Saturday. Although no score was kept, both

In Photos: final days of print production

After facing many editorial challenges, el Don editorial staff published their Spring 2025 student newspaper magazine this semester. The photographs presented document el Don editorial staff producing their newspaper issue. After almost
Go toTop