r/AnimalCollective

Hey guys so my favorite song of all time is safer by AnCo. So I want to get a tattoo in its honor on my arm. My mom is actually gonna design it. She already started. All I know for sure is that I want it to say “I’m alright”. And she’s good at lettering so that’s all good but I’m kinda thinking I want some imagery to go with it. So here’s the question:

Which lyric(s) from the song would make a cool image for a tattoo?

Appreciate any and all suggestions.

For folks curious about the current live show (havent seen any post about Lisbon):

- Setup looked exactly the same as for the Reset tour, there was no band (i was wondering about that since recording process was different). Panda used his samplers/stuff mostly for transitions otherwise there were singalongs & handclaps

- They played around 10 songs with about 6 of them from new LP and 9 of them with Panda on lead vocals. No stuff from other projects

- Reset show to me was kinda like „psychedelic lion king”, this was „dub christmas”. If you liked the first one you will love this too.

Fun gig!

"Time Skiffs" then "Reset" and "Isn't It Now" and now "A Question of When?"

Can someone ELI5?

I got a CD copy of the new record from a signing event and have been listening intently

Firstly, I love the expanded sonic palette of the album compared to Reset. That album nicely married the textures of vintage pop with electronic sound fx and synths, with relatively dry production, whereas A?OW hits you with harps, steel drums, orchestral strings, live guitars, organs, police sirens and formula 1 race car sounds. It's a very lush listen, with instrumentals that shift and change a lot more over the course of the songs. There's some incredible production - *VERY* 60s pop rock, Phil Spector-adjacent - which means deeper drums, more echo, wider vistas of sound with a lot of interlocking parts and details. Also, no sampled music on this album anywhere, all the loops were created from scratch.

Also, Panda Bear's vocals are maybe at their most dynamic here- whether it's the very thin and soft raspy vocal on 'Never givin' in', the MPP style choral vocals on 'Lucky Charm', the rarely used single-track voice on 'Somethin' that lasts', or the low register sassy delivery on 'Graveyard'. The melodies themselves are typical Panda - super catchy, sugary, timeless-sounding. Not quite as interesting to me as on 'Sinister Grift', probably due to how simplistic and looping the chord progressions are here. 'Lucky charm' ends up sounding a lot like a psychedelic christmas carol. In all his songs on this record, the blunter, more upfront lyrics are most similar to Sinister Grift's.

I think 'Revive him' is the first genuinely great track, has such an authentic 60s pop sound with the timpani's and plate reverb. 'A ? of WHEN' is just really fun, sunshiney bubblegum pop you can dance to. 'Pray to You' is a surprising one where i'm not sure we've heard a Panda song like this - basically a soft ballad with just stark acoustic rhythm guitar with a sweeping STRING SECTION which sounds great. And it features an *especially* moving chorus melody from Panda. Then 'Graveyard' is a true banger - so infections and catchy. It has one of the better beats on the album, a great organ melody, and has these sassy verses which lead into panoramic harmony bliss choruses. It's very repetitive but to me it just builds the hype and escalation as it goes on.

I wasn't as much of a fan as 'Something like dreaming', despite how well they cultivate a lethargic, hazy atmosphere. It drags a little for me, and the vocals from Sonic Boom just lack a little, compared to how expressive Panda's are. 'Like a moth to a flame' feels a little redundant coming soon after 'Pray to you' which seems to have the same chord progression and pretty similar melodies. Though it's still all so well produced and detailed, even the weaker tracks to me still can be enjoyed.

Favourites: Revive Him, A? of WHEN, Pray to you, Somethin' that lasts, Graveyard.

Not as into: Something like dreaming, Be the bridge, like a moth to a flame

Specifically the wet sounds... I mean obv its some sample being looped and run through effects but just wondering if anybody has any more specific info... They use these kinds of sounds all over sung tongs and really all of their early albums and they've always tickled my brain