Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion
January 22, 2009
Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion
It is very hard as a reviewer to completely ignore the blinding amounts of hype surrounding this record. In fact, the only people not swept up in the monster that is Merriweather Post Pavilion seem to be those who created it. Despite the countless accolades and prophecies already laid on this album, I will do my best to be fair and honest. Here we go.
Merriweather Post Pavilion is a good record. Do I believe that it is the best release to come out in the past five years? No. In fact, I don’t even think it’s the best Animal Collective record to come out in the past five years. That being said, I’ll start with the positive.
The guys of Animal Collective (Avey Tare, Panda Bear, and Geologist*) are growing up. Lyrically, MPP is not necessarily more mature than previous Animal Collective releases, it is just more focused. The album exudes a strong sense of honesty and simplicity — the guys just want to settle down. With lyrics like, “All this movement has just made your kisses hard to find/It’s what I hope for/No more runnin’”, and “I don’t mean to sound like I care about material things like a social status/I just want four walls and adobe slabs for my girls”, it is clear that Animal Collective are nostalgic for simpler times, or perhaps anxiously awaiting the days when they can escape the neon parade that is indie rock stardom.
The band’s intentions aside, the result is an atmospherically beautiful album. Synths swim effortlessly around the tracks while the voices of Tare and Panda soar to ridiculous heights, never getting in the way of one another. The bass-heavy beats compliment the songs effectively without overpowering anything, adding just enough danceability to the record. The result is a self-sustaining aesthetic of sound.
Now let’s move on to the things that I do not like about MPP. Namely, the complete lack of guitar hurts this record. Don’t get me wrong, it is amazing to think that Animal Collective created this gorgeous album completely sans-guitar, but imagine how much better it could have been with a few well placed chords soaked in reverb.
This brings me to my ultimate complaint — Merriweather Post Pavilion honestly makes me want to listen to Strawberry Jam (the band’s 2007 release) that much more. While fully realized and cohesive, the new record lacks the urgent passion of tracks like “For Reverend Green” (one of Animal Collective’s greatest achievements IMO). Despite which vocalist you may prefer, there is no denying this album’s utter lack of a good howl from Avey Tare. But then again, this is probably intentional. To me, Merriweather Post Pavilion feels like an attempt to silence the critics, or rather to prove that Animal Collective simply does not care what anyone thinks. Just when it is becoming convenient to pigeonhole them into a style, they quickly evolve into something refreshing, yet familiar. Why not drop the guitars and the screams in favor of pretty songs about being in love?
Don’t get me wrong — the shortcomings that I find in Merriweather Post Pavilion just make me like its strong points that much more. It’s nice to know that artists can still reinvent themselves positively and continue to push the boundaries of music. It’s also nice to know that even electronic noise pop bands can write simple songs about taking a walk on a summer day, being a father, and falling in love.
* Guitarist Deakin sat this one out.
8.7/10
The official video for the first single “My Girls” is pretty amazing. Check it out.
January 23, 2009 at 5:51 am
I may have heard them once or twice without knowing it, but I don’t think I’ve ever actually listened to Animal Collective. I can scarcely name half a dozen new albums I’ve heard lately that have been released post-2007. I’m so out of touch.