This is a Beginner’s Guide, link so let’s start from the beginning: What makes Animal Collective so special? Since the group’s formation, Animal Collective has continually pushed boundaries of what music fans can accept. The group brings unprecedented experimental music to the forefront of the independent music scene in a way that’s digestible and accessible to average listeners and musician counterparts alike. They’ve, in great part, inspired an unwavering movement.

Now you’ve probably heard the name Animal Collective before. You may have even heard of Panda Bear or Avey Tare, but how about Deakin? Or Paw Tracks? The list of Animal Collective side projects is lengthy, to say the least, but that’s not without good reason.

Since the group’s beginning, Animal Collective made a firm stance that the group would be deemed a “collective” to distinguish it from being a “band.” The distinction might seem nonsensical, but the founding members determined that anyone in the group should have the opportunity to come and go as they please – to flourish from side projects and never feel tied down by a title.

It’d be near impossible to effectively tackle the entire discographies of Animal Collective and all associated side projects, so let’s strip this down to the basics in alpha order:

Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion

If you know anything about Animal Collective already, it’s probably Merriweather. Digging deeper, it’s probably the track “My Girls.” All eleven songs on this album are pure gold from start to finish. The experimental edge is still there, but the melodies are catchy enough for any listener to appreciate. The lyrics can be thought provoking and meaningful to almost anyone, but the sounds creating the melodies are still strange and visceral when you listen closely. There’s no better way to indulge in what makes this band so beautiful than with Merriweather Post Pavilion on repeat for days, weeks, maybe even months. There’s no reason to be ashamed.

You’ll Love This If: You like melodic and easy-listening experimental music

Fave Tracks: Must I choose? Fine, have it your way – Daily Routine, No More Runnin’, Brothersport

Animal Collective – Sung Tongs

Sung Tongs starts to get into the weird part of Animal Collective in the best way possible. This album is much more guttural and abstract than Merriweather, but in a way that you can somehow still dance to. Take the first track, “Leaf House,” in which most of the melody is created entirely from snippets of layered vocal tracks from vocalists Noah Lennox and David Portner. The whole album is heavier on strings than Merriweather and is so strangely beautiful I can’t help but feel like I’m listening to something from a far-off place at a far-off time. That’s what makes this album so special. It’s raw and worldly while remaining entirely distorted and unique. A final tidbit before you go into this cold – the songs vary in length from less than a minute to almost thirteen minutes, so like anything with Animal Collective, you never know what you’re going to get.

You’ll Love This If: You like Ariel Pink, Atlas Sound

Fave Tracks: Leaf House, Winters Love, Visiting Friends

Animal Collective – Fall Be Kind EP

In the journey through Animal Collective’s discography, this definitely leans on the dreamier side of things. It’s easy to groove to while also highlighting the creative aspects of the band. Probably the most special aspect of this EP is the track “What Would I Want? Sky,” which is the first song to ever legally sample a Grateful Dead track. The song gracefully pulls from the Dead’s “Unbroken Chain” for a result so delectable even Dead bassist Phil Lesh gave it praise.