Animal Collective’s new EP, Water Curses, comprises four songs that run about 18 minutes total and sound like a psychedelic production of Disney’s Little Mermaid soundtrack. The band mixes zippy guitar riffs, keyboards, and electronic beats with echoing voices and almost fully intelligible lyrics. Though none of these songs compare to catchy tunes like “Peacebone” or “Leaf House” from previous Animal Collective albums, it’s admirable that this band, who started in 2000, can churn out a record every year or so. The first two songs, “Water Curses” and “Street Flash,” hang onto the liquid theme with bubbly pops and a concert of similar-sounding male voices that reverberate as if singing underwater. The last track, “Seal Eyeing,” features mellow electronics that makes you feel like floating on your back in a calm, blue-green sea.

 

-Linnea Covington