After a long stretch of output that could be meandering and abstract,
Animal Collective
returned to form on their 2022 effort
Time Skiffs
. That, their 11th studio album, recaptured the band's uniquely fractured balance of pop catchiness and experimentalism, and expanded on it with unexpected moments of danceability. Released relatively quickly afterwards, 12th album
Isn't It Now?
feels like a natural companion piece to
, with material written around the same time that continues the formula of organizing wild ideas and weird sounds within the boundaries of accessible, well-structured songwriting. Opening track "Soul Capturer" could almost represent a continuation of the more straightforward approach of
as it stacks hooky vocal melodies on layers of peppy acoustic guitars and pulsating yet organic percussion. Much like the best of
, the song immediately recalls elements of
's past work without simply recreating it, in this case by building on the bright-eyed folk strangeness of 2004's
Sung Tongs
but bringing in the restraint and thoughtful pacing the band found in the ensuing years. "King's Walk" takes a similar backwards look, revisiting the
Beach Boys
-esque vocal harmonizing explored on earlier records (and in particular on
Panda Bear
's 2004 solo set
Young Prayer
) but arranging it with a newfound precession. A track like "Genie's Open" represents strides forward for a band defined by their ever-changing nature, made up of complex, winding changes that are dialed in and intentional.
's clarity is in part due to its defined production, courtesy of
Russell Elevado
, who before this worked on revered records by
D'Angelo
and
the Roots
. The funkiness the group started exploring on
benefits from
Elevado
's ear, especially on the slinky grooves of "Gem & I." Even with a tightened pop sound,
still spends plenty of time traversing the ether. "Magicians from Baltimore" is moody and shambling, and droning centerpiece "Defeat" lingers for almost 22 minutes, taking its time in slowly unfurling its various synth textures, ambient vocal arrangements, and rhythmic segments. At 64 minutes long, these nine tracks make up
's longest studio album, but the execution is less overwrought than some of their more concise but less reigned-in earlier work.
carries over the inspiration and fire
rekindled on
. It finds them reveling in a state of joyful curiosity, but exploring with a knowing control earned through years of getting to know themselves and their singular sound inside out. ~ Fred Thomas