Oh, what’s that Tila Tequila? You didn’t find true love on your reality show? I wonder what went wrong. Trying to find true love by having 30 crazy girls and guys all live in a house and fight over you with cameras rolling sounds like a grand idea. I have another idea, because it didn’t work out the first time, how about trying the exact same thing for a sequel? Brilliant.

You may be wondering what “A Shot of Love 2 with Tila Tequila” has to do with Animal Collective and the answer is this: NOTHING, absolutely nothing. That is what’s so fucking great about Animal Collective.

Coming off last year’s incredible Strawberry Jam the band released a four-song EP on May 6th. Though Water Curses is more like their penultimate album Feels than Jam, the foursome stick to their minimalist guns and singer Avey Tare (David Portner) seemingly achieves his Taoist-like vocal goal to “be like water.” This current NYC-living, developed in Baltimore band recorded the first three tracks of new EP while they were in Arizona working on Jam. In a rented house 30 minutes outside of Tucson, seclusion, psychotropic drugs, and desert atmosphere allowed them to craft a new sound while simultaneously staying within themselves.

It is after all the greatest art to limit and isolate oneself –Goethe

On track one (Water Curses) their repetitive rhythmic vibe is on display. The song seems to get better as it goes. Cobwebs is a sublime ode to our connected state and I dig the firm statements made during the song’s midpoint. The piano in Seal Eyeing invokes Rick Wright of the Floyd and creates a little piece of serenity for your ears. Throw on the tracks and drift away to a place unknown.

Trying to classify their sound would be trivial and therein lies the beauty. They’ve been around the bend since 2000 and throughout several albums have remained unique. The only chance of seeing them live anytime soon is if you happen to be rummaging through Europe this summer. However, I would encourage all readers to contact the band and plead your case for them to play at your city ASAP. Seeing these guys live would be an experience, just to freak out to “For Reverend Green” (Strawberry Jam) alone would be worth the price of admission.

Animal Collective - Water Curses

Animal Collective - Cobwebs

Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam