Louisianimals

Watching Animal Collective evolve over the years has been like watching a fledging civilization become a mighty empire. What was once experimental exploration in sound and song structure has now become a controlled chaos that leads the listener to bliss, even if it is achieved by hacking through a veritable rainforest of textures.

The newest release from Animal Collective, Merrieweather Post Pavillion, is easily one of the best albums that I have heard in a long time. This is somewhat ironic because I was also saying this about their 2007 release Strawberry Jam. What has happened to this band has been astonishing. New listeners may have a hard time realizing the genius of Animal Collective at first listen. This is not in any way because of “ignorance” of contemporary music but because Animal Collective provides an experience that is not really conducive to picking a single song off of an album and making a judgment. It sounds like a cliché to suggest that an album needs to be “experienced” to be fully enjoyed but in this case it is true.



Strawberry Jam diagramed a leap in structure and creativity in Animal Collective’s career. Merriweather Post Pavilion is the next logical step in the bands progression toward complete musical nirvana. It may be noted that this album has the most “pop” feel to any of their previous creations, but the energy and enthusiasm on the album is undeniable and demands repeat visits.


- Brad Von Hoene