Considering three of its four songs were recorded during the sessions for 2007’s critically lauded Strawberry Jam, Animal Collective’s Water Curses EP isn’t likely to be a sign of where the band is heading. Still, few modern bands are studied more intently than the New York four-piece, and Water Curses provides plenty to dig into.

The title track is also the most familiar — its relentless pulse, chirping keys and singsong vocals would sit comfortably alongside Jam’s “Peacebone” and “Fireworks.” The remaining songs, though, take off in a noticeably more ambient direction.

“Street Flash” begins as an indulgence in the band’s Beach Boys fetish, albeit a far sparser version than Brian Wilson ever conceived. That changes as soon as the song’s most memorable sample appears — a screaming background vocal that sounds like the climax of a roller-coaster — equal parts fear and pleasure. From there, the sounds begin to dominate the song, creating a sonic swirl that threatens to overwhelm any structure. “Cobwebs” moves even further afield, stripping the sound down to a more languid atmosphere than anything the band has done in years. The album-closing “Seal Eyeing” is even more haunting, though not quite as barren — the song sounds as if it’s being played in outer space and underwater all at once. A surprisingly plaintive piano dances around unsurprisingly altered (and thoroughly cosmic) vocals. It’s all a touch aimless, but a good sort of aimless — the kind you can get completely lost in.

Rather than representing the culmination of an artistic period, EPs tend to collect tangents, half-formed thoughts and hastily assembled ideas. Though Water Curses is interesting in its own right, the real fun will come when the new full-length inevitably emerges and these missing pieces finally find a jigsaw to slip into. The EP does provide a welcome new facet of the band — it’s less concerned with cramming sounds into every moment and far more willing to explore the space within its songs. If Animal Collective is legitimately looking to expand on Water Curses’ stripped-down approach, their next LP might just live up to the adulation that’s been heaped upon them in the past few years.