[Taylor's note: The incredibly talented Vincent “Hey Is It Okay If I Get Called V-Sides” Rendoni did such a wonderful job with his write-up on Van Morrison's Astral Weeks that we decided we wanted him back. Luckily for all of us, he came back with this great write-up on Animal Collective that, personally, I could not agree with more... but read on and decide for yourselves.]

Animal Collective, “Fireworks” (download)

Not that it’s much of a surprise to anyone who has ever heard it, but “Fireworks” was one of the best songs of 2007. With a steam-engine beat and a background of frolicking hums, you think you were listening to some kind intergalactic train running, at least, until the lead vocals chime in. Now, I don’t forget that Animal Collective has always been the kind of band whose lyrics are either too muddled to hear or too vague to waste time analyzing, but when Avey Tare begins to sing, you can hear the sincere quiver in his voice when he begins, “Now it’s day / I’ve been trying to get that taste off my tongue,” quickly developing an image of being at the breakfast table in the morning, thinking of things past longer than we should have, as all the while, our cereal is congealing. A small bit of piano takes us to a beach illuminated by fireworks and Tare admits to us as much as himself that he’s only what he sees sometimes. You’re shocked. This song has somehow fused melody and celestial ambiance into a spectacular being. Your clap your hands in tiny glee. The piano and melodic howling play hopscotch around each other, brilliantly closing the song…

…Sort of.

Thing is, it’s only about 2:35 in the song with about 4:14 left. You will notice in the above paragraph, I said “Fireworks” was one of the best songs of 2007. It very easily could’ve been the best song of 2007, but then Animal Collective do what they typically do – disrupt and soil the underpants of the universally beautiful thing they created and for a lack of better words, get fucking weird. Shortly after where the song should’ve ended or evolved, there’s a sonic lull at 2:41 and the song wanders, sputters, and only what would seem predictably for this band, they let loose some random yips, howls, and barks. In contrast to the spectral fire they’ve created in the first part of the song, they go ahead and fucking salt and pickle themselves, replacing the piano with nausea-inducing Casio beeps and singing, well, whatever the fuck this is–

I’ve been eatin’ with a good friend / Who said a genie made me out of the earth’s skin / In spite of her, she is my birth kin / She spits me out in her surly blood rivers / All the people out lurkin’ / And dominions of the hot Turk dish / If the elephants are reaching for our purses / Meet me after the whirlwind shivers

Okaaaaaaaaaaaaay then. (more…)