Every so often, we like to take a look at the closing lines of the week’s biggest new-music reviews. Today’s candidate for appraisal is Animal Collective’s Merriweather Post Pavilion, which—after some of the craziest pre-release anticipation this side of a Jonas Brothers album—comes out on vinyl tomorrow:
• “Animal Collective have spent the decade following their own path, figuring out what their music is capable of while also working to bring more listeners into their world. On Merriweather Post Pavilion, their commitment has paid off tremendously.” [Pitchfork]
• “In years past, Animal Collective have been cast as perpetual Peter Pans, forever stuck in childhood fantasias. But beneath the body-moving throbs and coruscating noises of Merriweather Post Pavilion, themes of domestic duty and devotion abound. On the resplendent closer, ‘Brother Sport,’ Panda consoles his older brother after their father’s death, advising him to follow his own voice. As the beat grows increasingly joyous, the song sends a message to family and fans alike: ‘Open up your throat,’ sings Panda, and rave on.” [Spin]
• “Maybe the overwhelming, full-throated joy of it all sounds particularly radiant in the fluey gloom of winter, but right now Merriweather Post Pavilion doesn’t just seem like one of the first great records of 2009, it feels like one of the landmark American albums of the century so far.” [Uncut]
• “Fuck me, this is brilliant.” [The Quietus]
INDIE TEENS IN HAVING NO SENSE OF HUMOR SHOCKER aka animal coLOLctive: what happened? [C:E:L:E:B:R:A:T:I:O:N]
Animal Collective [MySpace]
Hey, can someone help me out here:
So, I saw Animal Collective at All Points West this year and it was just an hour-long mess of noise and indistinguishable vocals. However, is there something different on their various records that I’m missing? I’ve heard them compared to Sigur Ros (a comparison that made no sense after witnessing the terrible set I saw). Is this a record I should give a spin if I like Sigur Ros but dislike self-indulgent noise?
^you’re old
it’s good. yeah it’s pretty good.
….
*shrug*
@2ironic4u: Hmmm. I would say “no” in terms of Sigur Ros-liking translating to AC-liking. In fact, I find that comparison highly questionable. I’m not sure the show you saw is totally representative, but I’m guessing you should probably just stay away!
@2ironic4u: i really want you to love this band. why don’t you just listen to their last four(!) pitchfork-approved albums?
I’m making an honest attempt at jumping on the AC bandwagon this time around, their popularity has always somewhat mystified me. Listening now, “Summertime Clothes” is the first track that’s jumped out at me… it’s pulsating through my brains.
As a guy who is incredibly weary of hyper-blog-endorsed Brooklynite-friendly cooler-than-thou bandwagon buzz bands, I still have to admit that Animal Collective is the real deal. I won’t pretend to be “totally into their older stuff” or anything like that, but when I heard Feels, I honestly said to a friend, “These guys could potentially be the biggest band in America.” Then Strawberry Jam came out and totally deflated my expectations. And even though I’m the only person in the Western Hemisphere not to have heard this new one yet, I have to say to 2ironic4u and other similarly hesitant people out there: seriously, give their records a chance. Yes, there are annoying people in the world who like them, but they’re really making smart, fun, one-of-a-kind music. They certainly deserve the hype more than most.
I’d hate to be attacked by a mob with torches and pitchforks (the offline kind) but I actually really liked it. Especially “Brothersport” which i’ve played about 50 times in the past week.
I avoided Animal Collective for a very long time because they seemed like one of those bands that are overhyped but not very good. However, I heard “Peacebone” (still their best song IMO) in the middle of the night during my local alternative station’s late night Jazz Block (as apparently Animal Collective, Arcade Fire, Regina Spektor and early They Might Be Giants all count as “jazz” for some reason) in April, and I bought “Strawberry Jam” and liked about half of it. They seem to be alright, but I lost quite a bit of hipster cred for not liking them earlier.
@Marth: And they are probably the lamest dressers in America. Don’t forget.
But, yeah, I like the band and am one of their few defenders here at Idolator. Having said that, I like the Panda Bear record better than all of them.
I haven’t heard it yet. I’ve actually been trying to find some songs today but so far, no luck. There’s not even a track on their myspace page. I’ll just give up, kick back and enjoy these days before I’m sure I’ll be hearing it almost every where I go.
Also, the hype battle of the first part of the year will be between Animal Collective and Black Lips. Both have new albums coming out and I expect to see nothing but AC and BL banners/articles on every single website on the internets for at least the first half of 2009.
So this is the highest PF rating since the Arcade Fire debut, no? That seems meaningful in some way.
I just hope it’s better than Strawberry Jam.
It’s definitely better than Strawberry Jam. That record is awful; this one is quite good.
@Mike Barthel: I don’t know what it means that this was the first thought I had too when I checked the reviews this morning, but yes, highest rating since AF’s 9.7.
@Matthew Perpetua: Really? I don’t really ‘get’ all the new AC fans who turn up their noses at Sung Tongs; but I think the new AC sound is as good as the old AC sound. You think Strawberry Jam is awful?
@ B.Money
Yeah, I really can’t stand Strawberry Jam. I can take “Chores,” because it basically sounds like a Person Pitch outtake, but there’s just something about that record that grates on me in the worst way. Sung Tongs is okay, it has maybe two or three real gems, but I don’t really care about it. Same can be said for Feels. Basically, when it comes to Animal Collective, almost all of my love goes to Merriweather and Spirit They’re Gone. I have some serious affection for some tracks from Danse Manatee as well.
Also, they aren’t “going electronic,” btw. They always were that way, and they went on a quasi-folk detour. I could’ve really done without that. If you go back and listen to Spirit They’re Gone Spirit They’ve Vanished, it’s not dramatically different from where they are now, though it lacks the quasi-Beach Boy vocalizations of Panda Bear.
Okay, so I’m about halfway though it now, and I’m pretty much completely disappointed. Between this and Strawberry Jam, I guess I just don’t like this band going all electronic. Feels and Sung Tongs (and Person Pitch) are completely warm and organic (albeit not entirely “acoustic”), but I just can’t get over the unrelenting synthiness of this one. It’s just overbearing and devoid of their old soul. Looks like AC is joining The Microphones, Andrew Bird, and Augie March in the “Musicians That Could’ve Been Bigger than Jesus But Suddenly Became Mediocre” club, with a spot right next to them being saved for the Fiery Furnaces.