Random Thoughts While Listening To Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

Prelude: There's been a buzz around this new Animal Collective album for a while now, and I have to say I am expecting big things from it. I thought their last two releases were very fine, and they have been improving year on year. Here goes:

Track one - Mmm, dense and spooky. In comes a lighter melody. It reminds me immediately of old Mercury Rev, as they always do. This is a very good thing. Great, loud drumming and distant spacey vocals is always a winner.

Track two follows straight on from track one without any audible spaces, I hope the whole album does that. There are lots of vocal tracks here, all singing different things, just like the end of by the Beach Boys. It creates that wonderful effect of feeling underwater, and of being surrounded by the sound. Sorry if that sounds a bit new age, but it's true.

Animal Collective - My Girls

Track three - As, primarily, a fan of popular music it's thrilling when a band as experimental as Animal Collective marry their amazing sonics to pop songs. It's what they are doing here. Layers of sound and dense and loud drums are coupled with hooks and harmonies. This is exciting me.

Track four is See You On The Other Side era Mercury Rev, but with a singalong chorus. It's backed with a driving electronic pulse. Damn, this is funky, and could make me dance about like an old hippy, all arms swirling and bendy legged. What a beautiful sight that would be.

Track five begins like an amazing pinball machine. This is the first slow-jam, and it's real pretty, with multilayered distorted strummy guitars and echoey vocals.

Track six. I'd love to hear someone to a cover of this. Underneath all of these layers is a really pretty song, possibly quite romantic by the sounds of it. The chorus is particularly lovely. These were not adjectives I was expecting to use.

Track seven. So you may have noticed some recurring themes here. Density, multi layered vocals, distortion, catchy melodies, loud drums, early to mid period Mercury Rev. These themes are repeated throughout the album (thus far), but that shouldn't be taken as a negative thing, that's the Animal Collective SoundTM and I love it.

Track eight has got a popping sound in it that is identical to the new message noise in Yahoo messenger. I'd like to think that this is some sort of elaborate ruse to wind up anyone listening on a computer. It worked on me.

This repetition I mentioned before means that this is one of those 'proper' albums that need to be listened to all the way through, from beginning to end, without any interruption if you want the full experience. That said, I'm just going to make a cup of tea.

Track nine. Ahhh, that's better. I've just realised that that popping noise was, in actual fact, Facebook messenger and I am silly. Sorry. This is the track with the strongest vocals, which have impressed me throughout. Characterful and unique.

Track ten. I was lucky enough to see Animal Collective in 2003. It was just Avey Tare and Panda Bear, at their first ever UK show, and just a pair of acoustic guitars. They were amazing as you can see below:



Track eleven. I feel fortunate to have watched them grow from that to now. They have advanced their sound with every record, twisting, adding new dimensions, never standing still, constantly challenging themselves and their audience. This final track is magnificent, continuing the feeling that this is a very satisfying sonic experience, just like our parents listening to Kraftwerk's Autobahn echo around their living room. Play it out and play it loud. Fantastic.

Buy here.