User ratings in Music are temporarily disabled. More info

Time Skiffs
by
  • Record Label:
  • Release Date:
Time Skiffs Image
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.2

Universal acclaim- based on 30 Ratings

  • Summary: The first new full-length studio release for Animal Collective in six years was mixed by Marta Salogni.
Buy Now
Buy on

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 25
  3. Negative: 0 out of 25
  1. The Independent (UK)
    Feb 3, 2022
    100
    There’s a new sense of groundedness, as though, faced with certain inevitabilities, they feel more connected than ever to the world around them.
  2. Pitchfork
    Feb 4, 2022
    84
    With its inviting ambiance, unhurried vibe, and ebullient group harmonies, Time Skiffs readily conjures warm memories of AnCo’s late-2000s halcyon days. But the album possesses a personality and methodology all its own.
  3. Mojo
    Jan 25, 2022
    80
    While Time Skiffs sounds deeply, existentially scattered, every atom is in its rightful place. [Mar 2022, p.87]
    All this publication's reviews
  4. Clash Music
    Feb 10, 2022
    80
    Whilst there is a real danger to being overly nostalgic, this album hits a happy medium.
  5. AllMusic
    Feb 3, 2022
    70
    It's an especially lucid reading of the sound they've been perfecting for over two decades at this point, and one that adds a human warmth to a group that's long been defined by their otherworldly nature.
  6. Rolling Stone
    Feb 7, 2022
    60
    Time Skiffs splits the difference between the pop and the avant, spaced-out family-pad music with solid drumming, deep-distance percussion, wobbly melodies, and harmonies somehow more blissed out than anything else.
  7. The Wire
    Jan 25, 2022
    50
    While 2016’s Painting With was a jumble of interesting ideas lacking direction, Time Skiffs is the opposite: a paint by numbers indie pop affair completed using a quirky palette. While paring down to a more focused format is welcome, the music is suffocated by anachronisms, both within AC’s own and wider pop contexts. [Feb 2022, p.46]
    All this publication's reviews

See all 25 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. razzmatazz
    Feb 4, 2022
    10
    Good ol AC back in a mix of all their best sides imo! Started laughing from the first song being so catchy.
  2. bmkastelan
    Feb 4, 2022
    10
    An album that will please long time fans and bring in new ones. Accessible yet challenging in all the right ways. A buffet of everything theAn album that will please long time fans and bring in new ones. Accessible yet challenging in all the right ways. A buffet of everything the group has offered both as a band and in their solo works. Gorgeous and atmospheric.… Expand
  4. Ryanedwardwolf
    Feb 4, 2022
    8
    Animal Collective is back with a more mellow, nostalgic trip through time this round, and their music sounds fresher and more intricate thanAnimal Collective is back with a more mellow, nostalgic trip through time this round, and their music sounds fresher and more intricate than it has in years!… Expand
  5. ReubenIsAGod
    Feb 4, 2022
    8
    Good to see that Anco can still release really fun and enjoyable music! Hoping they continue to create stuff going forwards. This was a veryGood to see that Anco can still release really fun and enjoyable music! Hoping they continue to create stuff going forwards. This was a very pleasant surprise. Painting with was just everywhere, this is more focused and pleasant.… Expand
  6. All_ButTrU4
    Feb 4, 2022
    7
    rarely do acts maintain their ability to be consistently enjoyable whilst pushing out a prolific discography. Animal collective doesn't holdrarely do acts maintain their ability to be consistently enjoyable whilst pushing out a prolific discography. Animal collective doesn't hold back on this one which sounds like a return to ''merrie weather post pavilion'' heyday with a few shades of ''suntongs''. more gentle with the harmonies and no as lyrically vague as they tend to be.… Expand
  7. gobitoe
    Feb 8, 2022
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I had never been into Animal Collective before this album, only having heard their most popular songs on Spotify. That said, I had no expectations going into this album since I had no frame of reference.

    The opener "Dragon Slayer", in my opinion was great. It had some great tempo change, melody, lyrics. My only regret is I wish the drum was more up-front in the mix.

    Following up, "Car Keys" really kept the up-tempo going on the record. I loved the instrumental, and the vocals were greatly mixed.

    "Prester John" Was great, but my first red flag on this album was "Strung with Everything". The track is great, but did it need to be 7 minutes long ? After the 3 mins mark, you've already heard everything the song has to offer and they just repeat the chorus over and over to the point where I just wanted to skip the track.

    "Walker" was kind of monotonous, but it was still decent regardless. It reminded me of a Beatles track with the same particular instrument used in it.....

    The last 4 tracks are what makes this album a 7 for me and not an 8 or a 9. "Cherokee" doesn't bring much to the table besides random noise over a drum track, and with a 7:50 run time, it gets boring very quickly, especially that the track before was not very up-beat.

    "Passer-by", once again, is very slow and doesn't bring much besides ambient noises over a drum track. "We go back" sounds like a B-side and isnt very interesting. And just to make it worse, the closing track is very slow paced and also sounds like the previous 3 tracks.    … Expand
  8. MattLua
    Feb 22, 2022
    6
    ████ ████ ████ ████ ████ ████ ████ ████ ████ ████ ████ ████ ████ ████ ████ ████ ████ ████████ ████ ████ ████ ████ ████ ████ ████ ████ ████ ████ ████ ████ ████ ████ ████ ████ ████