Animal Collective – “FloriDada” (Singles Going Steady)

Timothy Gabriele: Around Centipede Hz, people had overdosed on the collective, which is understandable. It was not their strongest LP, but neither was the previous record which won them profound accolades for essentially arriving at the right moment in history. That moment correlated with an explosion of weird tapes and assorted digitrash posing as pop to flood the overground in waves of chills and thrills. The ramifications of that flood are still being felt today in the most challenging and essential releases of 2015, so this critic in particular at least owes Animal Collective a great deal of gratitude for their contribution the sonic haze. That said, “Floridada” sounds as much of a sunny-side parody of A.C. as you could get. It screams “zany” from every angles from its sing-songiness to its “Florida Man”-isms on over to its Sufaris sample. They’ve sure leaned in to their inner hippy quite a bit. Maybe I’m just bitter because this is so off-season. I’ll let it slide for now. The rest of the album better spike the rest of all this goddamned sunshine with the bitter wine of melancholy though. [6/10]

Dustin Ragucos: The experience that is “FloriDada” might be comparable to a tourist’s trip to clown school, which makes the song a great place to get one’s feet wet with the work of Animal Collective. It’s a rush. It circles around Dadaism and makes the movement’s way of thinking dizzy. “FloriDada” has an electricity to it that does not let you go along the slippery patches of ice it drags you along. Just try not to get an epileptic fit from the video. [8/10]

John Garratt: Dadaists were in love with their own cleverness. They did not create things to be enjoyed but to be admired purely for being edgy, a museum designed and built by the only people who would ever pay admission. Impenetrability was not a liability but an asset, because you’re kewl when people don’t understand you. Now, where was I going with this? [3/10]

Ian King: What if, after summiting the art-populism apex of Merriweather Post Pavilion, Animal Collective decided to gradually slide down the other side until they became an obscure noise/freak folk group again? Would that make Centipede Hz a bristly counterpart to Strawberry Jam? Does “Floridada”, a rubbery bridge between “Peacebone” and “Grass”, indicate that Painting With will be a distant sister to Feels? Has the Florida Tourism Board been alerted yet? [6/10]

Steve Horowitz: This colorful video contains everything that’s sexy about the Sunshine State except mermaids. It’s fun: a little dirty, a bit humorous; the facts of life for the psychedelic set—and a shout out to The Ventures. The silly music requires serious execution and a sense of timing. Here’s what happens, dear friends, when you let your imagination bounce. [7/10]

Jedd Beaudoin: How Animal Collective hasn’t become one of my favorite bands in recent years is beyond me and this track is a perfect example of why: It’s catchy, imaginative and instantly memorable. And I love the lyrical idea. [8/10]

Kevin Korber: I don’t get it. That isn’t to say that I think Animal Collective are going over my head; I’m just wondering why they seem to be going backwards. For all of its schizophrenic weirdness, “FloriDada” seems practically tame for these guys, the kind of song that they would have written in their Feels period. Even their sampling seems simpler, less layered than it used to be. I’m worried about Animal Collective, guys; they may have become too comfortable for their own good. [5/10]

Evan Sawdey: I’m not nearly high enough to consider this song even remotely “good,” but, honestly, I don’t think I ever will be. For all the people that lied to themselves and thought that the last Panda Bear or AC albums were of lasting substance, feel free to continue that trend with technicolor nonsense. [2/10]

SCORE: 4.63