Weekly Release Spotlight: Animal Collective
Posted on 1/25/2009
Animal Collective
Merriweather Post Pavilion
[Domino]
Animal Collective, a loose coalition of pseudonym-assuming, avant-garde musicians, has been around awhile. Established in 2000, the "collective" group has nine releases under its belt, the latest being this month's "Merriweather Post Pavilion." Just the mention of a new album on the band's website last October drew critical acclaim, with many calling it "the best record of 2009." And this was before anyone had even heard it. But, that's no surprise. The group's experimental electronic noisy psychedelic pop grooves have been catching on for years now. "Strawberry Jam," their 2007 release, even found a spot on the Billboard charts. After longtime member/collaborator Deakin decided to take a break from the band, the rest of the group opted to write songs without guitar (Deakin's main instrument), and the result is "Merriweather Post Pavilion," named after an outdoor venue in the band's semi-native Baltimore. Despite all the buzz and critical accolades, all the Pitchforking (ha!), the album is actually excellent and could very well be the best record of 2009, though it's kind of early to tell, right?
One of the best cuts on the album is "My Girls." Swirling ambience gives way to a building, repetitive sequenced riff before the reverb-drenched vocals come in. And then come the drums, the dancing beat that gives the song it's carefree, weightless feeling. It seems to bounce around the room, accented by handclaps and subtle rhythmic breaks. The underlying melodic movement is almost indistinguishable, but it's there, and it makes all the difference. It's a pop song disguised. "Summertime Clothes" and "Lion in a Coma" also stand out, though the album as a whole blends together nicely. And, it seems that the collective is starting to grow up, as the lyrical content deals more with themes of adulthood and family than fantasy stories. "Brother Sport," for example, finds A.C. member Noah Lennox (better known as Panda Bear) writing about the death of his father and the subsequent relationship with his brother.
So, what is it about this release that's so special? It's not as edgy or noisy as their earlier work. And they're "only" working with 75 percent of the collective. Maybe it's that this release is the most accessible of the band's career? Maybe it's the prevalence of pop hooks and sing-along lyrics? Or maybe it's the feeling that, after pushing musical boundaries and definitions for the group's entire existence, Animal Collective finally got together and made the music that they've been hinting at for so long.
Stream: Animal Collective - My Girls - mp3 provided to Radio K by Domino Records
Find more Animal Collective at the Domino Records store
Animal Collective will be playing at the First Avenue Mainroom on Wednesday, May 20th.
Written by Andrew Zoellner, Radio K volunteer.