Here Comes the Indian is Animal Collectives debut album and it was released in 2003. I don't know how I found out about this band, I think one of my friends told me about them so I purchased the debut. I own every Animal Collective album and this is not the best place to start. While this isn't a bad album, Sung Tong and Feels are far superier. That being said this is a great album that is overlooked and underated.
Animal Collective create some of the most strange, eerie, and quirky songs. When you listen to Here Comes the Indian you feel like you're lost in the woods. The psychadelic/folk music just surrounds you and puts you into sort of a trance. Animal Collective combine folk, psychadelica, experimental rock, and indie rock together. I'm sure this has been done before but Animal Collective add their own twist. Haunting vocal effects, strange backround noises, and shrill high-pitched screaming is added to a good number of these stracks to make a strange, haunting, sort of odd feel. The music can go to a soft, subtle guitar strum all the way over to a frantic mess of vocals and instruments. There is never a dull moment and while most of these tracks are hit or miss but they always provide something new and unique.
There are few instruments used on Here Comes the Indian, the guitar plays the biggest role. The guitar goes from gentle strums to just rocking out without any melody what so ever. I enjoy most of the guitar parts, they are well done and play a huge role in the music. The drums and bass provide a decent rythm section, creating odd melodies and offbeat rythms. The best part about this album is how the music has so much texture. While these instruments play regular rock music the backing effects create an eerie, strange, and somewhat terrifying effect. The psychadelic and folk influences are most obvious. Weather its the trippy punk influenced Slippi or the frantic Hey Light Animal Collective always make things interesting. Here Comes the Indian is one strange journey and while the instruments do a decent job the backing effects is what really makes this album something special.
Being the bands debut album sometimes this can be one disorganized mess. Most of these songs are an interesting listen, but the problem is that they don't seem to go anywhere. The 12 mintue ballad Two Sails on a Sound is excellent when you're in the mood, but overall I find it a very skippable track. This album runs at around 50 minutes so that track kills the album. With the exception of the albums opener the songs don't seems to be very well developed. Here Comes the Indian is as strange and odd as it gets but the only problem is that it lacks substance. There are some interesting ideas shown here, but they just arn't that well developed.
Overall I would say that this is one of the most interesting, strange, and eerie albums I have ever listened to. This album is definately not for everyone so if you dislike strange or unconventional music than stay away from this. Animal Collective combine folk, psychadelica, and a strange mix of blues and experimental rock. Backround effects are also very relevant, the vocals and instruments are constantly being messed with to get an odd, somewhat funky feel to the music. This is my least favorite Animal Collective album and while I still enjoy it from time to time it just doesn't compare to the bands later works. Once again there is a strange combination of folk and psychadelica used here this music is not for everyone. Here Comes the Indian is a strange and odd journey, once you get into it you might never be able to come out.
