Visual Communication - Photoblog 1: Sung Tongs
Visual Communication Photoblog 1:
Sung Tongs
Sung Tongs is the title of the fifth album released by Baltimore, Maryland band, Animal Collective.
When flicking through Animal Collective albums, the cover art for Sung Tongs often draws
considerable attention. Sung Tongs features only two members of the full Animal Collective, and
garners a significant cult following among fans. Sung Tongs is a happy album that is filled to the
brim with love as well as psychedelic splotches of weirdness. The cover artwork presented conveys
the feelings embedded in the album perfectly. Immediately, the album stands out for its bright colors.
The red background is hard to miss, along with the bright yellow and white bones. Instantly the
warmth is palpable; the artwork promises a safe haven from cold, and invites you to get comfortable.
Sung Tongs was written and mixed in the winter of 2003-2004, with songs such as “Winters Love” or
“Kids On Holiday” painting pictures of snow-filled landscapes. However, the instrumentation is warm
and layered, as is the album cover. The artwork and music of Sung Tongs feels like a nice warm
bonfire outside in the cold of a blizzard, and I believe this is the purpose of the warm color choices
for the artwork. Other design choices reinforce themes of the album.
The bones presented throughout the Sung Tongs artwork represent the DIY and natural
instrumental choices made on the album. Instead of traditional percussion, the musicians
slammed doors, banged on wooden furniture and guitars, and chose a stripped-down acoustic
approach to the rhythms of the album. On the inner sleeve of the Sung Tongs vinyl release the
following is written: “Sung Tongs are tongs about returning to an old house, doing nothing
with friends, or making sounds with bones.” The band emphasizes the natural construction of
music, using anything available as instruments, especially our own physical bones. This
concept is reflected beautifully through the artwork. The humans on the cover are plastered
with color, but also skeletal. The artist shows that beauty, warmth and sound can come from
simple and natural places, such our own bodies.
The humans on the cover can also make some uneasy; their wide smiles and gazes setting
some strange discomfort. This choice feels intentional as well, with music that is often
categorized as “freak-folk”. The music of Sung Tongs focuses primarily on vocal harmony,
acoustic guitar and various electronic samples. The stranger sections of the album such as
“Whaddit I Done” or “Mouth Wooed Her” may turn away some listeners, just as the humans
on the cover may also do. However the unease plays into the album as an interest factor, with time
playing a significant role in the design. People oftenspend time examining the record, and the purpose
ofalbum art is ultimately to draw in potential listeners. Overall Sung Tongs is a bright, warm and
wonderful piece of contemporary music, and it’s artwork reflects the album’s themes and remains
an iconic staple of indie music in the early 2000s.
When flicking through Animal Collective albums, the cover art for Sung Tongs often draws
considerable attention. Sung Tongs features only two members of the full Animal Collective, and
garners a significant cult following among fans. Sung Tongs is a happy album that is filled to the
brim with love as well as psychedelic splotches of weirdness. The cover artwork presented conveys
the feelings embedded in the album perfectly. Immediately, the album stands out for its bright colors.
The red background is hard to miss, along with the bright yellow and white bones. Instantly the
warmth is palpable; the artwork promises a safe haven from cold, and invites you to get comfortable.
Sung Tongs was written and mixed in the winter of 2003-2004, with songs such as “Winters Love” or
“Kids On Holiday” painting pictures of snow-filled landscapes. However, the instrumentation is warm
and layered, as is the album cover. The artwork and music of Sung Tongs feels like a nice warm
bonfire outside in the cold of a blizzard, and I believe this is the purpose of the warm color choices
for the artwork. Other design choices reinforce themes of the album.
The bones presented throughout the Sung Tongs artwork represent the DIY and natural
instrumental choices made on the album. Instead of traditional percussion, the musicians
slammed doors, banged on wooden furniture and guitars, and chose a stripped-down acoustic
approach to the rhythms of the album. On the inner sleeve of the Sung Tongs vinyl release the
following is written: “Sung Tongs are tongs about returning to an old house, doing nothing
with friends, or making sounds with bones.” The band emphasizes the natural construction of
music, using anything available as instruments, especially our own physical bones. This
concept is reflected beautifully through the artwork. The humans on the cover are plastered
with color, but also skeletal. The artist shows that beauty, warmth and sound can come from
simple and natural places, such our own bodies.
The humans on the cover can also make some uneasy; their wide smiles and gazes setting
some strange discomfort. This choice feels intentional as well, with music that is often
categorized as “freak-folk”. The music of Sung Tongs focuses primarily on vocal harmony,
acoustic guitar and various electronic samples. The stranger sections of the album such as
“Whaddit I Done” or “Mouth Wooed Her” may turn away some listeners, just as the humans
on the cover may also do. However the unease plays into the album as an interest factor, with time
playing a significant role in the design. People oftenspend time examining the record, and the purpose
ofalbum art is ultimately to draw in potential listeners. Overall Sung Tongs is a bright, warm and
wonderful piece of contemporary music, and it’s artwork reflects the album’s themes and remains
an iconic staple of indie music in the early 2000s.
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