At their best, Animal Collective combine shapely pop hooks with mind-broadening sonic freakery. At their worst, the sonic freakery is mind-numbing. Like most of their work, this five-song EP contains all of the above: The opening "Graze" sutures together meandering synths and a perky Afropop-style chorale, to no end; "Bleed" is a sub-Enya New Age snoozefest. But then there's "What Would I Want? Sky," a gorgeous, ear-tingling wash of polyphonic vocals, including a snippet of the Grateful Dead's "Unbroken Chain," the first sample the Dead have ever licensed. Wanted in Brooklyn: a ruthless editor.

“Youth Knows No Pain”

“Like on 'Youth Knows No Pain' — we are the ones that should demonstrate, because we can take it,” Likke Li said. “We can pierce ourselves, take Ecstasy, dance all night and still go to work at our McDonald's jobs.” Despite the hedonistic sentiment in the song, the Swedish singer also admitted in hindsight her youth had repercussions. “I remember when I was 18-19 and feeling that I know it all,” Li said. “I always feel that I know it all. But that song is about realizing you don’t, and reflecting, ‘Boy, if I only knew what would follow.’”