Animal Collective
Although notorious to some for their unusual methods for making music and their undeniable experimental nature, Animal Collective appear to be heading back to old roots with their newest album.
As their 8th studio album, Merriweather Post Pavilion, has already been named the best album of 2009, after it was leaked online in December – but this may be a slight overstatement unfortunately for the band. Experimental is one thing, but in this case, they are so much so, that in few places, songs sound unfinished and unnecessary.
But this is not to say they are not talented. After making their national TV debut on Late Night with Conan O’Brien in October 2007, they have continued to spread their name and unusual sound by touring and through their online presence on sites such as MySpace. In many tracks, the vocals are echoed and contain more effects than any Lord of The Rings movie.
Because of its eccentricity, the album, on a mainstream level, is incredibly difficult to follow or even understand. However, it has received critical acclaim, possibly due to its bizarre similarities to a spaced out Stone Roses/Bjork mix.
Tracks such as Daily Routine follow a monumental build up of music, that eventually leaves you unsatisfied, due to the build up on being to the next song.
The collective are certainly unconventional without question, and if you liked Ross from F.R.I.E.N.D.S play on the synthesizer, then you might just like Merriweather Post Pavilion. Throwing in everything from didgeridoo and cartoon-like sound effects, the album makes more of a statement that actual music. That statement being that you really need to be a fan of the unusual to listen to the album more than once.
It may have reached critical acclaim before even being released, but as the age old saying goes, each to their own.
Skip to – Lion in a Coma
Rating – 2/5
By Karen Asbury