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Vashti Bunyan & Animal Collective: An Unlikely Folk-Electronic Dream
25 Oct
Summary
- Vashti Bunyan's 1970 album anticipates modern indie-folk.
- Prospect Hummer EP merges Bunyan's folk with Animal Collective's sound.
- The collaboration captures rural moods and pastoral details.
Folk singer Vashti Bunyan's 1970 album, Just Another Diamond Day, is now seen as an early precursor to the current indie-folk movement. Her unique, soft vocal style, perhaps out of step in its time, now resonates as foundational to a specific style of indie singing. Bunyan's return to music after a thirty-year absence has been gradual, with appearances on other artists' records.
Her recent collaboration with Animal Collective on the Prospect Hummer EP proves inspired. The project bridges Bunyan's delicate, pastoral sensibility with Animal Collective's experimental electronic textures. The EP explores common themes of rural life and small details, evoking pastoral moods.
Prospect Hummer features three vocal tracks where Bunyan's voice harmonizes with Animal Collective's sound. The Geologist contributes an instrumental piece, 'Baleen Sample,' which adds a contrasting density with sound effects and diverse instrumentation. The EP concludes with 'I Remember Learning How to Dive,' a communal track featuring the band and Bunyan singing together.
