Despite a slew of far out experimental releases in the last few years, Baltimore-bred Animal Collective haven’t released a full-length album since 2016’s Painting With. The wait is over, though, as the core four band members in Avey Tare, Deakin, Geologist, and Panda Bear recorded the completed new album, Time Skiffs, over the course of 2020 and have announced its early 2022 release today.
Out on February 4 via Domino Records, the album features the just-released lead single “Prester John.” Comprised of oddball rhythms and those familiar strangely alluring effects, it’s as well-formed of a composition as the band’s early material. The song is actually an amalgamation of a song written by Avey Tare and another one by Panda Bear, and long-time fans of the band will appreciate how fluidly their vocals converge in their signature seesaw harmonies.
The band have also announced a number of tour dates for next March and a release for the album added some color on the intent behind the album for the four:
“These nine songs are love letters, distress signals, en plein air observations, and relaxation hymns, the collected transmissions of four people who have grown into relationships and parenthood and adult worry. But they are rendered with Animal Collective’s singular sense of exploratory wonder, same as they ever were.”
Listen to “Preseter John” above, and below, find the Time Skiffs art and tracklist, as well as Animal Collective’s upcoming tour dates.
1. “Dragon Slayer”
2. “Car Keys”
3. “Prester John”
4. “Strung With Everything”
5. “Walker”
6. “Cherokee”
7. “Passer-By”
8. “We Go Back”
9. “Royal And Desire”
03/08 —Richmond, VA @ The National
03/09 — Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
03/11 — North Adams, MA @ Mass MOCA – Hunter Center
03/12 — Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
03/13 — Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
03/15 — Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
03/16 — Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
03/18 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls Theatre
03/19 — Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre
03/20 — Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre
03/21 — Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
03/23 — Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
03/24 — Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works
03/24-03/27 —Knoxville, TN @ Big Ears Festival
03/26 — Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern
Time Skiffs is out 2/4/2022 via Domino. Pre-order it here.