It seems fitting that such a game-changing, bizarre group like Animal Collective would be the first to warrant an unconventional post from T&C. After listening to the free stream of their new album Centipede Hz several times, I had an impossible time picking a track to review. That’s not to say there aren’t phenomenal songs and brilliant moments like the screaming discomfort in “Today’s Supernatural” or the insanely good beat on “New Town Burnout.” Rather, I couldn’t escape the reality that the album’s ferocity and strangeness simply can’t be summarized by the moments that most clearly exemplify them. Animal Collective is famous (at times infamous) for reinventing their sound with each new album, and Centipede Hz is no exception. Tribal percussion and psychedelic instrumentation have replaced the sample pads and electronic drums of Merriweather Post Pavilion which had previously replaced the tom drum and spooky guitars of Feels. Tare’s spacial philosophy (however effected by drugs) is as dizzying and fascinating as the warbling synthesizers around his voice, and likely as brilliant. But it’s not always easy to make sense of this madness, and I’m not sure that it’s important to do so. Animal Collective creates moods and emotions, drawing on verbal imagery and cacophonous instrumentation. Centipede Hz does so with profound attention to detail and wonderful musical originality. If accepted on its own terms, it’s probably a masterpiece.

Listen to the album and watch the accompanying videos here.