Animal Collective have released new single “Crucible,” the first taste of their original score for the upcoming A24 film, The Inspection, out November 18th. The score includes original compositions by the band and features contributions from Indigo de Souza.

Based on the true story of Elegance Bratton, who directed and wrote the film, The Inspection follows a young, Black, gay man, Ellis French, ostracized from his family and opportunity. Ellis joins the Marines to provide for himself, and in boot camp, he encounters more than just physical obstacles obstructing his path.

The first taste of the soundtrack, “Crucible,” showcases those unmistakable AnCo harmonies, buoyed by a reverential organ and flutters of piano. “This road is for us all, so let’s begin” they sing, sounding willing and ready to embrace salvation.

“I wanted us to conjure the feeling of being strong but also showing vulnerability,” says Avey Tare. “The desire to ask a community or a loved one to have your back and support you and the expectation that it will happen.”

Director Bratton described the inspiration behind enlisting an avant-garde indie group to score his film: “We were very inspired by the music of our composers Animal Collective. We wanted to create the right rhythms to blur the line between what French thinks is real and what is really happening. So those fantasy sequences could serve as the evolution of French’s inner life. In essence, we wanted to create a sense of the stir craziness of the monotony of boot camp, juxtaposed with the massive transformation Ellis French undergoes.

Animal Collective
The Inspection
Tracklist

1. Shelter to Inez
2. Birth Certificate
3. Bus Ride
4. Laws Beat
5. Seeing Rosales
6. Buzz Cuts
7. Reveille
8. Caterpillars
9. Phase 1
10. Shower Fantasy (Movie Edit)
11. Shower Fantasy (Original Mix)
12. Shower Anger
13. Thanksgiving
14. Stress Position
15. Drills
16. Phase 2
17. Drowning Man
18. Flashlights
19. Human Target
20. Cover Up
21. Phone Call
22. Phase 3
23. War Paint
24. Crucible
25. Fight Pit
26. Disappear French
27. Oohrah
28. Sixteen With Nobody
29. Reflection