Croz Boyce — the new instrumental duo of Animal Collective‘s Dave Portner (Avey Tare) and Brian Weitz (Geologist) — share Steven’s Sunshine Rejected today, the second single from their self-titled debut album, out this Friday, May 8th, on Domino.
The track arrives with a video by underwater river filmographer Joseph Ricketts, who also shot the visual for first single Hanging Out With a Blueberry Pop. Where its predecessor leaned warm and riverside, Steven’s Sunshine Rejected steers the duo’s palette into cooler weather. Portner’s down-tuned guitar and slide lines stake out an overcast mood; Weitz’s electronics shift around them like changeable wind. As the back half quickens, the piece settles into something firmer — two old hands pulling, together, towards a steadier light.
Croz Boyce is made up of nine instrumentals built almost entirely at a distance — Portner sketching guitar themes from his Blue Ridge home and sending them across to Weitz in D.C., who would respond and pass them back. With the rest of Animal Collective busy on other work, the project grew out of Brown Thrasher, the pair’s contribution to 2021’s For the Birds compilation.
The duo have been previewing the album with listening events in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, and stop in tomorrow (May 6th) at Atlanta’s Commune (Tickets). They’ll also perform at Cincinnati’s Talk Low Music Festival in September, with more live dates to follow.
Croz Boyce is available to pre-order on limited edition clear vinyl, transparent orange cassette, CD, and digital: Digital| Dom Mart