Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion (Domino)
5/5
By: Dan Monsell
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Beginning with the ambient overture of 'In the Flowers', it's clear that nine studio albums in, Animal Collective have it down on how best to begin a great body of work. The otherworldly journey that we are about to experience is established instrumentally as we are introduced into the densely textured, bass heavy sound of a record full of warped melodies and subtle changes and a very solid groove. Lyrically it's then made all kinds of clear that we're about to head into a dream-like realm: "If I could just leave my body for a while" coos vocalist Avey Tare, taking his turn on a microphone which is shared around the trio as the album presses on.
Although Merriweather Post Pavilion is as experimental, ethereal and certainly as exciting (the big three e's for you there) as previous releases, this time around it feels very much like this is the album where everything has nicely fallen into place. The fact that the band can challenge listeners by making some of the most progressive music around needs no longer to be said anymore, instead messrs. Avey Tare, Polar Bear and Geologist (no Deakin this time - he's taking a break) can be content with their lot, allowing them to kick back, relax and have a good time with what they do. Whereas previously the band would probably finish the album with an sprawling ambient closer ala penultimate track 'No More Runnin', here they now push on through into encore rave-up territory with 'Brothersport' - an impossibly euphoric dance floor filler (or rather tribal fire-dance stomper) full of the smile-inducing African elements that spring up all over the album.
In short, this is a pop record - matching the bands rising popularity and highest chart position of their careers so far. It is of course not a pop record in the conventional sense - more a collection of pop songs dragged backwards through some kind of space wormhole; meaning it's still full of the most futuristic and amazing sounds and textures you are likely to encounter on an LP of modern popular music. It's in this respect that Animal Collective have been able to start moving towards a Radiohead type position of huge critical acclaim and musical influence, whilst beginning to fill bigger and bigger rooms of people. People who've bought this as their first Animal Collective record might even be beginning to make their way through the band's discography - we hope so anyway.
However, what really comes across most is that this is an incredibly uplifting record, full of messages both positive and joyous. Album closer 'Brothersport' was reportedly written to cheer up one of the band's brothers. Lines like "I don't mean to seem like I care about material things like a social status, I just want four walls and adobe slabs for my girls" on album standout 'My Girls' have heavily contented and realized sentiments. It's almost as if the feeling is that all they wanted to be previously achieved before now has been, and now Animal Collective can start to tell people some of their wisely learned wisdoms.
There appears to essentially be very, very little wrong with the record. The attention Animal Collective pay to the very nature and texture of sound is astonishing. Merriweather... sees them honing this into a realm of almost un-equalled brilliance. The fact that they manage to do this while still making one of most best dance records that we've heard for some time makes it all that more fantastic. On first listen this is obvious - tracks like 'Summertime Clothes' and 'Lion In a Coma' slay you as huge, huge songs. However by, say, the sixth listen, it clicks. This is bowling-us-over-it's-so-good perfection, an album of utterly realized ideas and originality, demonstrating why so many have adopted these principal focuses of the band in recent times. Total winners.
Artists in this article: Animal Collective
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