Time Skiffs, Animal Collective (7/10)

 On Friday (2/4/22), Animal Collective released their latest album, "Time Skiffs." I haven't listened to all of Animal Collective's albums, but this album had a distinctly more poppy feel than some of their other, more experimental and sometimes darker albums. At times, it even borders on Beatles-esque -- a band with which I would never conceptually pair Animal Collective prior. My favorite track on the album is either Prester John (more poppy) or Passer-by (slower), but the entire album is a fucking ride; AC's unique rhythms feel meditative at moments and then, before you know it, you are jamming the fuck out. It's a great album despite the one song titled "Cherokee" which, despite being a good song, I feel could be called LITERALLY ANYTHING ELSE without invoking an indigenous people whom the song is not about at all (and to whom I'm sure none of the profits are going). Definitely a shift in AC - but they also retain their (brilliant) experimental identity.