Animal Collective 'Honeycomb' b/w 'Gotham' 7-inch

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Back in May, Animal Collective leaked "Honeycomb" and "Gotham" unto the Internet, but the 7-inch landed on Terra Firma last week, and if you haven't had a chance to put a needle on the record yet, you haven't done these songs justice. I’m partial to the "Honeycomb" side, and although neither of these songs throw any surprise punches, there are some pretty significant changes going on with Animal Collective's sound here, illustrating just how far the group has moved away from what they offered up with Merriweather Post Pavilion. Not the least of which is a clear reduction of reverb as the each song tumbles along with their own sense of Animal Collective logic squeezed into a concise pop number — concise by these guys’ standards.

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Having all four members of the group (Avey Tare, Panda Bear, Deakin, and Geologist) working as a single unit with Ben Allen, who produced, engineered, and mixed "Honeycomb" and "Gotham," does more than recreate a proven dynamic. What’s noticeably different about these songs is that each one draws strength based on performance. Post-production and studio alchemy will always be a big part of Animal Collective's process, but letting these songs find their legs while they were tracked live has shaped them on an elemental level, creating a full-bodied and organic sound, and laying intriguing groundwork for what's to come with Centipede Hz.

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Animal Collective plays the Tabernacle with Micachu and the Shapes Sun., Sept. 30. $42 ($30 + $12 fees). 8 p.m.