Animal Collective “Merriweather Post Pavilion”
Though it was released back in January, I only got around to listening to Animal Collective’s most recent album this past week. It’s a shame, too, because I’ve been missing out. A collection of wonderfully-arranged and aurally-captivating tunes, Merriweather Post Pavillion hasn’t left my rotation since I bought it.
What impresses me most that is it can easily be classified as a “pop” album, yet it goes so far beyond the standard definition of pop; you won’t hear this stuff on the radio. I’ve seen descriptions of the band as being “freak folk” or “noise pop” – whatever the hell that means – and however you’d like to classify them, let’s just say they walk the fine line between melody and madness. Behind driving percussive rhythms lies layer upon layer of thick, electronic sounds, all somehow made cohesive by strangely catchy vocal melodies. It’s a delicate balance, but one that they make seem effortless.
Of the eleven songs, it’s hard to find a clunker. Sure, some connect more quickly than others, but each song stands on its own merit. A total headphone album, Merriweather Post Pavilion listens like an onion, with multiple layers exposing themselves upon each listen. From the complex, interwoven rhythms of Guys Eyes to the deceptively simple melody of Bluish, I’m constantly discovering new clever little bits.
But the most amazing accomplishment is how Animal Collective has achieved the task of taking challenging electronic-based music and made it accessible to even the most passive listener. It’s a great album to sit and casually rock out to and a great album to focus on and study.
Check out Animal Collective’s website here and check out their video for My Girls by hitting the link…
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Tags: animal collective, electronic music, merriweather post pavilion
May 18th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
Animal Collective, on Robot Panic? Never thought I’d see the day. I bought this album 5 days before the CD’s street date back in January, and it hasn’t left my rotation ever since. Simply put, MPP is one of my top albums of the decade. I love every single moment on it.
Now John, go check out their previous albums! Be warned that this is probably their most accessible album. The older stuff tends to be more freak folk (like folk, but more noisy and psychedelic), but it’s just as good. Personally, I’d look into Strawberry Jam next. It’s more noisy and has a whole lot more guitars than MPP, but it’s just as good. Also check out Person Pitch by Panda Bear, one of the members of AC.
Yeah, ever since the hypetrain leading up to MPP started last year on all the music blogs, I’ve been getting more and more into this band. It’s amazing just how wide of a range they have.
May 18th, 2009 at 9:46 pm
Forgot to mention: here’s some stuff from Strawberry Jam:
-Peacebone
-Fireworks
May 19th, 2009 at 9:09 am
Really awesome stuff!
Damn, it’s like the Beach Boys cut an album with Philip Glass.