Fall Be Kind [Vinyl EP]

After releasing one of the best-reviewed albums of 2009, Animal Collective followed ten months later with one of the best EPs of the year, Fall Be Kind. An easily digestible slice of the band at their best, the five-tracker amplifies the circular harmonies of Merriweather Post Pavilion, but substitutes a slightly more laid-back feel compared to the dense, frenzied sound of Merriweather. The opener "Graze" begins with atmospherics and tremulous lyrics, but soon explodes with the same fervor and energy of past AC classics. The second track, "What Would I Want? Sky," deserves its place with Animal Collective's best, led by a Grateful Dead sample and including several distinct parts that form close to seven minutes of overlapping harmonies, wheezing and clanking found sounds, and ambient drone. ~ John Bush