Collaboration
E. A Solinas | MD USA | 01/14/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Step outside of the mainstream for a moment, and you'll encounter plenty of wonderful bands and artists.
Among these are the band Animal Collective and the singer Vashti Bunyan, who join forces to create the "Prospect Hummer" EP. And it turns out that their styles mesh very well, whether it's Bunyan's tranquil folk, or Animal Collective's enchantingly offbeat pop ditties.
It starts with Bunyan singing softly over rippling guitars, before they blossom into a soft bed of strings, piano and murmurs. "It's You" is a very quiet song, but the bursts of barely-restrained music give the impression that Collective could easily have burst out of its boundaries.
From there on, things get a bit odder and poppier. "Baleen Sample" is a swirling psychedelic experience that is pleasant, though not musical. The remaining two songs are more accessable, with the title track as a bouncy little folk song with lots of people singing "wah wah wah wah!", and the final song as a skipping little guitar melody.
Many collaborations are done with all the wrong people. In the case of "Prospect Hummer," it's with the right people -- Collective makes lovely music, and Bunyan hs a lovely voice, and neither is trying too hard to take center stage.
Animal Collective strays a bit from their usual style, retaining the same flavour but making the music more restrained and folky, rather than being as deliciously weird as their individual albums. They do break loose in "Baleen Sample," with the swirling mix of claps, fast-strumming guitar, and countless indistinguishable instruments and noises.
Bunyan shines in particular in this. She gets drowned out at times in the title song, when other people are singing harmony with her. But the other songs show her beautiful, soft voice off to best advantage, paired with restrained guitars and little chiming bells. It's enough to make you race for her solo albums.
Vashti Bunyan and Animal Collective created a lovely, strange little EP in "Prospect Hummer," showing off their talents without diminishing the other performers. Here's hoping they collaborate again."
Track Listings (4) - Disc #1