Animal Collective with Vashti Bunyan
Prospect Hummer
Fat Cat Records

I'm really obsessed with the Finnish psych folk scene lately. Kemialliset Ystavat. Islaja. Kuupuu. Wow. This stuff is amazing. Timeless. A little tuneless. And lotsa vowels. It's at once creepy and lovely. And just as trippy as it should be. Jaane Laurila. Es. Paavoharju.

Fonal Records is the home to a lot of this wonderful lot. And I've only stepped away from being steeped in this delicate mess long enough to hear about a new Animal Collective record. Sung Tongs last year pretty much blew my little mind and I was eager to hear where they were taking me next.

They made a record with Vashti Bunyan? No. Really? I love her, though I must admit I didn't know her music until that old Lunakafe piece where the writer played drop the needle with that Posies guy. No, the other one. Yeah, him.

Well, he had never heard of her either and was totally turned on. I had to go check that old record out. Yep. Classic. Thanks Lunakafe.

It seemed like a dream that these two artists would get together and record a few songs. Piano Magic did one song with her a few years back. It was okay. Devendra did him one better with the lovely Rejoicing in the Hands last year. Still, just one song. I wanted more.

Here we have Animal Collective laying down some settings that really do Her justice, And she?s all over three of the four tracks. One can only hope there's a full length coming from her someday soon.

Until then, back to Finland.

Copyright © 2005 Alice Kenner