On Jan. 20 Animal Collective released their ninth studio album, Merriweather Post Pavilion.
The record was highly anticipated with websites and magazines hailing it as “The Best Album of 2009” before it was even released. It’s the Halo of underground music.
The Tickle Me Elmo of the indie scene, if you will. The trio, consisting of Avey Tare (Dave Portner), Panda Bear (Noah Lennox), and Geologist (Brian Weitz) is known for their avant-garde stage antics and fusion modern electro with tribal beats.
The album starts off with a classic repetition of gurgles and drum snaps on “In The Flowers,” an introductory track that kindly straps the listener into the rollercoaster that is Animal Collective. Avey Tare sings about the promise of holding onto someone, dancing, and light.
As the song fades out into windy breezes, “My Girls,” the first single on the album, marches its way in with a crescendo of definitive sound effects.
Panda Bear chants about all the good things he wants for his girls, most likely referring to his fashion designer wife Fernanda Pereira and daughter Nadja Lennox.
The nice thing about Animal Collective is that they give fans exactly what they want while conveniently fulfilling their personal music ambitions.
Geologist works hard to give each track its own signature characteristics, making the album a collection of one-of-a-kind songs.
“Brother Sport,” the last and undoubtedly finest track on the album is Panda Bear and Geologist at their finest.
With hopping keyboard taps and distorted maracas, the song closes the album out on an upbeat, “here to stay” note.
In the past, Animal Collective has had a tendency to get less experimental (and I stretch the phrase “less experimental”) from album to album. However that’s how Merriweather Post Pavilion, differs.
It’s a throwback to their old roots, a “post” look at what they’ve done. The band is confident with where they’ve been, where they are, and where they’re going. Not bad for record of the year.