"Editorial abstract illustration evoking the emotional arc of a song titled "Also Frightened" by Animal Collective. Noticeable climb from quiet to loud. layered composition, overlapping color planes. Mood: anxious, contemplative, dreamy, introspective. Visual style: 2000s digital editorial aesthetic. Painterly, grainy film texture, muted palette with strategic accent colors. The composition should read left-to-right like a timeline — calm on one side, intensifying toward the other. Strictly no faces, no text, no logos, no literal objects, no band imagery. Pure color-field abstraction with emotional weight. 16:9 editorial format."
Also Frightened
Animal Collective
Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009)
AI-analyzed — check another song
Real momentum, more energetic than 83% of our 19,209 measured songs — measures out best for party & hype.
110
BPM
Also Frightened by Animal Collective is 110 BPM — Moderato (moderate).
Half-time 55 BPM · Double-time 220 BPM · released 2009
Fan image for "Also Frightened"
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Song DNA
Notes: Layered electronic production with prominent rhythmic elements and introspective vocal delivery creates an engaging but moderately complex soundscape. The track features shifting textures and unpredictable arrangements typical of Animal Collective's experimental approach.
Misophonia Triggers
Recommended for: deep listening emotional release focus meditation
An experimental electronic track from Animal Collective's acclaimed album Merriweather Post Pavilion, featuring introspective lyrics about uncertainty and shared fear.
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Hear it the way it was made
The right gear changes everything.
Moods: anxious, contemplative, dreamy, introspective
Traditions: experimental electronic, indie, psychedelic pop
Volume Warning
"Also Frightened" climbs hard.
Dynamic range 7/10 places this in our upper band. The opening volume that feels comfortable will not be comfortable at the climax. If you are setting this up for a focused listen, anchor your volume to the quietest section, not the loudest. The arc is the point of the song; if you blunt it by riding the volume knob, you lose what makes it work. Animal Collective built the dynamic shape on purpose. Plan around it.
How this song sits on each sensory axis
A dynamic range of 7/10 means this song moves. Expect a real volume climb between quiet sections and the loudest part of the arrangement — enough that you may want to set the initial volume below where you'd normally land.
Sudden changes: present. This song uses surprise as a feature. For focus or background listening, it's likely to pull your attention away; for active listening, that's often the point.
Texture is layered — a full arrangement with clear separation between parts.
Predictability is low — this song does not follow standard verse-chorus form closely, and rewards active listening more than passive listening.
Vocal style: dynamic vocals.
Where this sits in Animal Collective's catalog
We have 23 songs from Animal Collective in the library. Of those, 1 are rated Safe, 13 Moderate, and 9 Intense. This song's dynamic range of 7/10 sits at the artist average of 7.0, making it the #15 most dynamic track of theirs in our library.
Other tracks from Merriweather Post Pavilion
We have 7 songs from this album. Overall, the album leans moderate in sensory profile.
- My Girls — moderate DR 6
- Summertime Clothes — moderate DR 7
- Brother Sport — intense DR 8
- Bluish — moderate DR 6
- Lion in a Coma — intense DR 8
- No More Runnin — moderate DR 5
2009 context
Released in 2009. We have 219 songs from that year in our library, averaging a dynamic range of 6.4/10. This track is about average than the year average. Explore more from the 2000s.
Explore by mood and tradition
Guides that may help
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How to Build the Perfect Focus Playlist for Work — A Sensory-Rated Approach — A guide for sensory-se…
Why Video Game Soundtracks Are Perfect for Focus and Study
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How fast is "Also Frightened"?
110 BPM — Upbeat (dance-pop / running warm-up)
For running
Too slow for most running; good for warm-up walks or cool-down.
For workouts
Steady cardio, power walking, light weights.
For daily life
Cooking, casual listening, cleaning, dinner music.
Browse more songs at 110 BPM.
When "Also Frightened" works, and when it doesn't
Use-case verdicts computed from the song's tempo, dynamics, and sensory profile.
✗
Focus / studying
No — too dynamic or too many surprises. Save for active listening.
~
Running / workout
Maybe — at 110 BPM this is more warm-up or cool-down pace than peak-effort running.
✗
Sleep / winding down
No — contains elements that will keep an awake nervous system engaged.
✓
Driving / road trip
Yes — predictable enough for safe driving attention, interesting enough to stay engaged.
✓
Cooking / dinner background
Yes — sits in the background without demanding attention.
~
Emotional release / catharsis
Not really — it's pleasant but doesn't hit hard enough for cathartic listening.
Related reading
Editorial guides that cover this song's use cases, moods, or artist.
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Why this rating
We rate this song Moderate because it falls between our Safe and Intense thresholds on at least one dimension. Moderate is the default for most well-produced music that has real arc but no surprise elements. Full rubric: methodology.
This song in the Music Studio
63/100 intensity
See how “Also Frightened” sits against your own sensitivities, or use it as a waypoint in a calmer set.
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For focused listening
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Rating last reviewed: 2026-04-14. Reviewed by the Music I Want editorial team against the documented methodology.
Think this rating is wrong? Contact the editor — every message is read and ratings get revised.
By the numbers: how this song compares
Computed from this song’s place among the 19,209 songs we’ve measured.
Where it sits in 19,000 songs
This is one of the more intense things in our library — more energetic than 83% of the 19,209 songs we've measured. Its intensity reading of 63/100 comes from a dynamic range of 7/10, layered texture, moderate shifts, and dynamic vocals. Relatively few songs occupy this exact corner of the spectrum.
What makes it unusual
What stands out most about this song is blazing intensity: more extreme on that axis than 83% of everything we've measured. At the far opposite end of the library sit the songs built on near-total stillness — steady volume, no surprises, a slow and unhurried pulse — the kind of track this one is the counterpoint to.
Feels almost identical to
Birthday Pony — Fugazi · 96%I Believe — Buzzcocks · 98%Unsolved Mysteries — Animal Collective · 96%Rival Dealer — Burial · 95%
Closest matches by feel across all 19,209 measured songs — not by genre or artist, by how they actually move.
What it’s good for
Sleep0/10
Focus3/10
Workout4/10
Dinner6/10
Party / hype7/10
Scored from this song’s tempo, intensity, dynamics and texture — not crowd votes.
2009 in context
The 218 songs we’ve measured from 2009 average a dynamic range of 6.4/10. At 7/10, this track is right in line with its year.
Mixes smoothly with
Within a few BPM and close in feel — they flow without a jarring transition.
The fingerprint
Intensity63
Dynamics67
Tempo39
Surprise50
Density33
Predictability100
Vocal force75
Trigger load38
The 8-dimension measurement behind every rating on this page.
Frequently asked about "Also Frightened"
Quick answers pulled from the song's sensory analysis.
What is the BPM of "Also Frightened" by Animal Collective?
"Also Frightened" by Animal Collective has a tempo of 110 BPM (Moderato (moderate)). At half-time that is 55 BPM, and at double-time 220 BPM.
What is the sensory intensity of "Also Frightened" by Animal Collective?
"Also Frightened" by Animal Collective rates as Moderate intensity. Dynamic range 7/10, moderate sudden changes, layered texture. Moderate is the default for well-produced music with real arc but no surprise elements.
How loud is "Also Frightened" — what is its dynamic range?
"Also Frightened" has a dynamic range of 7/10. Noticeable climb from quiet sections to loudest point. Set opening volume slightly lower than your preferred peak.
Does "Also Frightened" have sudden or surprising changes?
Yes. "Also Frightened" uses surprise as a compositional feature. Expect unsignaled transitions.
What is "Also Frightened" best for?
In our library "Also Frightened" is recommended for: deep listening, emotional release, focus, meditation. These tags are assigned only where the song's sensory profile genuinely supports the use case.
When was "Also Frightened" released?
"Also Frightened" is from 2009, on the album "Merriweather Post Pavilion". It appears in our 2000s catalog.
What is the emotional mood of "Also Frightened"?
We tag "Also Frightened" as anxious, contemplative, dreamy, introspective. Moods are tonal descriptors based on how the song reads emotionally — separate from the sensory intensity axes.
What is the vocal style of "Also Frightened"?
The vocal style is dynamic vocals.
Is "Also Frightened" good for running?
Not really — at 110 BPM it's below most running cadences. Better for warm-up, cool-down, or walking. Recreational runners typically step at 140-175 BPM.
Is "Also Frightened" good for studying?
Only partially. The song's dynamic range (7/10) means there will be loud moments that break focus during deep work.
Can I use "Also Frightened" for sleep?
Not recommended for sleep. Contains transitions that will wake you up.
Should I listen to "Also Frightened"?
"Also Frightened" is Moderate intensity — fine for most listeners, but with enough dynamic activity that it works best as active listening rather than background.
Songs with the same DNA
layered texture, similar intensity — across any genre or era.
Safer alternatives with a similar feel
These songs share similar moods but with a gentler sensory profile.
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Where to next?
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