Don't miss out. Follow us on Twitter for new music. Don't forget: use the left and right arrow keys on your keyboard to move between posts quickly and easily.
Animal Collective “Wide Eyed” (2 of 5)
“Wide Eyed,” an early standout from Centipede Hz, has all the usual elements of a great Animal Collective song – fuzzed out synthesizers, a hypnotic, pounding drum beat, and a wacky array of random aquatic and computer noises squeezing themselves in. But there’s one glaring difference: the lead vocals. Taking charge on this song isn’t a cracked-out, shouty version of Brian Wilson but instead a lower-register, dallying warble that brings to mind a more robotic James Murphy. If Panda Bear and Avey Tare are the Paul and John of Animal Collective, Deakin and Geologist are George and Ringo – still recognized, but nowhere near the main attraction. On “Wide Eyed,” though, it’s Deakin’s time to shine, as he nails his first-ever lead vocal performance on a song he wrote (it’s his “Think For Yourself” moment). The change, as I mentioned, is obvious. Deakin’s vocals give the song even more of a droning, trance-inducing feel – like snake-charming music for the ATP crowd. But it still fits the vibe of the music Animal Collective continues to put out: ever-churning, ear-thumping stomp-a-long pieces that are impossible to pigeonhole. –– Adam Offitzer
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
