Prospect Hummer

Released in 2005, Prospect Hummer is a pivotal EP that serves as a collaboration between Animal Collective and British folk singer Vashti Bunyan. Facilitated by Kieran Hebden (Four Tet), the project brought Bunyan out of a thirty-year hiatus, eventually leading to her second full-length album. Sonically, the EP is a departure from the band's more aggressive or chaotic experimentalism, leaning heavily into the 'freak folk' aesthetic they explored on Sung Tongs. Three of the tracks feature Bunyan's signature breathy vocals over intricate acoustic guitar patterns provided by Avey Tare, Panda Bear, and Deakin. The track 'Baleen Sample' stands as the experimental outlier, featuring Geologist and utilizing aquatic field recordings and abstract textures. The EP is highly regarded for its emotional warmth and its role in the mid-2000s folk resurgence, capturing a rare moment of cross-generational synergy.